26 museomag 03 ‘ 2018
RENC’ART - ARTWORK OF THE MONTH SEPTEMBRE ’18
LUCIEN WERCOLLIER
(1908-2002)
Embrace
1976
Alabaster
54 x 29.2 x 30.5 cm
Provenance: Gift of Lucien Wercollier
Lucien Wercollier, one of Luxembourg’s most
important 20th-century artists, is known as the
“father” of modern sculpture in Luxembourg.
He was one of the founders of La Nouvelle
Equipe in 1948 and of Iconomaques in 1954,
two groups of modern young Luxembourg
artists who broke away from figuration and
formed the core of the Luxembourg school of
non-figurative art.
After studying at the Royal Academy of
Fine Arts in Brussels (1927-1931) and at the
National School of Fine Arts in Paris (1931-
1933), he developed a great admiration for
the work of Maillol and gradually, in his own
creations, began simplifying the represen-
tation of the human body.
He was arrested during World War II, de-
ported and later imprisoned in Nazi concen-
tration camps. His work does not reflect these
traumas, as Wercollier consistently favoured
harmonious, clearly-ordered pieces often
characterized by sensual curves and pure
volumes.
Our sculpture – dated 1976 – is a gift of the
artist to the Museum. It is part of a series
(Maternity, Affection, Attachment) first exe-
cuted in alabaster and then transposed
to bronze. The bronze version can be admired
in the Park of Villa Vauban in Luxembourg City.
Mardi 04 à 12h30 & Jeudi 06 à 19 heures
(français)
Mardi 11 à 12h30 & Jeudi 13 à 19 heures (deutsch)
Mardi 18 à 12h30 & Jeudi 20 à 19 heures (english)
Mardi 25 à 12h30 & Jeudi 27 à 19 heures (português)
FINE ARTS
SCHÖNE KÜNSTE
BEAUX-ARTS
Within the framework of our regular guided tours,
“Renc’Art” is a monthly invitation for a close-up view
of one masterpiece.
During these short encounters (about 20 minutes),
one work of art is analysed in depth, always leading to
surprising insights.
Focusing on a single work renews our gaze on the
national collections, and its reception.
These tours are offered eight times per month, on
Tuesdays at lunchtime (12.30 p.m.) and on Thurs-
days in the evening (7 p.m.), each week in one of the
four languages on offer French, German, English and
Portuguese.
These exciting and enriching visits are free of charge.
