Oceanid

myminifactory

The dynamic movement of the waves in Brittany and along the French Riviera sparked Laurens to craft figures that mirror the fluid motion of the ocean. Initially drawn to Rodin's work, Laurens' allegiance shifted decisively towards the Cubist sculptors after forging a close bond with Georges Braque. From 1921 onwards, his artistic output became increasingly organic and rhythmic in its form. As a master sculptor, Laurens devoted himself fully to nature, striving to seamlessly integrate it into his work and vice versa. He considered the female form to be the most exquisite subject of all, and here that figure becomes synonymous with the ocean and vice versa. The title Océanide serves as an unmistakable reference to this, as does the sculpture's very form itself. The slender upper body is stretched outwards and upwards, its left foot balanced precariously on a stylized wave, anchored firmly on a substantial base. The arms resemble fins, while the overall rhythm of the image and the contrast between light and shadow evoke the vast expanse of the sea.