Pierre Alexandre Morlon, art in the service of the Republic

Taking an interest in artists of local origin is one of the missions of French provincial museums, and we can only congratulate those who do so. Those born in Paris are often much less fortunate if they have not achieved sufficient renown. So many Parisian painters and sculptors are still waiting - and will be waiting for a long time - for their retrospective, while others, sometimes less talented, have had this honour thanks to their home town.

1. Pierre Alexandre Morlon (1878-1951)
The Pickers of Grapes
Plaster
Mâcon, Musée des Ursulines
Photo: Didier Rykner

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2. Pierre Alexandre Morlon (1878-1951)
The Pickers of Grapes
Stained plaster - 27.5 x 11.7 x 31.5 cm
Mâcon, Musée des Ursulines
Photo: Didier Rykner

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Mâcon in Saône-et-Loire therefore celebrates Pierre Alexandre Morlon, whose reputation is not immense. Yet the exhibition shows an honourable artist who officiated in two closely related fields: sculpture and medals (the latter including both medals and coins as well as bronze plaques).
The Musée des Ursulines’ initiative is therefore to be welcomed, although it is regrettable that, for reasons both of cost and of the availability of the works (the large-scale creations are obviously impossible to move, and the models or preparatory drawings are not necessarily preserved), his most spectacular work as a sculptor is less represented than his work as a medallist.

3. Pierre Alexandre Morlon (1878-1951)
Loup de mer
Bronze - 76 x 52.5 x 55 cm
Caviar Prunier Collection
Photo: Didier Rykner

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Born in 1878 in Mâcon, this son of a marble-maker was able to practise stone-cutting from an early age. His talent for drawing and modelling, which he revealed by attending the municipal fine arts school, naturally guided him towards this artistic profession, which he was able to learn at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris thanks to a grant…