Fernand PY

Born in 1887 in Versailles, he began around 1900 as an apprentice wood sculptor in Paris in the faubourg Saint-Antoine. During evening classes in Paris he would become a friend of the ivory carver Heckmann. This encounter would direct his life towards creating works in direct carving on wood and above all on ivory. Before the First World War, during a religious retreat, he would meet Henri Charlier, theorist of a renewal of sacred Art. Inspired by Gauguin and the Pont-Aven school, in the village of Cheny on the banks of the Yonne, they would create sculptures in polychrome direct carving. Henri Charlier's theories and Fernand PY's blazing technical mastery work wonders. They offer their services to the sacred art workshops of Maurice Denis and Desvallières, but it is the Arche group (Maurice Storez, Valentine Reyre, Dom Paul Bellot…) that wins their favour. Reconstruction sites and war memorials would be the first practical applications of their approach to sculpture. Very quickly, Fernand PY would exhibit his works in Parisian salons and exhibitions. He would work for and with the monastic communities of Solesmes, La Pierre-qui-Vire… His religious sculptures were published by the Maison Rouart. His brother-in-law and nephews Riquet would distribute his 100 medal models. From the 1920s he spent the fair-weather months in Sommeville near Auxerre, where he set up his studio. He alternated his work in ivory (180 medals, chalice knops, bishops' croziers…) with 120 wood and stone sculptures of Saints, Crucifixes and Virgins for faithful friend-clients, as well as 90 ivory jewels.

…. From the 1930s he was assisted by apprentice assistants (Michel Lasserre, Michel Tapié, Jeannette Desailly, François Brochet,…) whom he introduced to Cubism, Purism (Amédée Ozenfant, Le Corbusier) and primitive arts.

Today his remarkable body of work is known for its incisive medals, nativity scenes, statuettes and subtle stations of the cross.