![Sculpture, Danseuse / Dancer, Harold Ambellan](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/1083009_1_s.jpg)
Danseuse / Dancer
Harold Ambellan
Sculpture - 17 x 3 x 2 cm Sculpture - 6.7 x 1.2 x 0.8 inch
$2,251 $1,125
Sculpture : terracotta
13.5 x 19 x 0.75 cm 5.3 x 7.5 x 0.3 inch
One of the last works available by this artist
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Type
Numbered and limited to 90 copies
1 copy available
Signature
Hand-signed by artist
Authenticity
Sold with certificate of Authenticity from the gallery
Invoice from the gallery
Medium
Sculpture: terracotta
Dimensions cm • inch
13.5 x 19 x 0.75 cm 5.3 x 7.5 x 0.3 inch Height x Width x Depth
Display
The sculpture cannot be displayed outdoors
Artwork sold in perfect condition
Artwork location: France
Exhibitions of this sculpture at the Olympiades des Arts and Galerie Lise Cormery, Paris
In her book, "The Art of the Post-War School of Paris (1945-1999)", published by Michelangelo Publications, Paris, in 2020, Lise Cormery writes her biography which can also be read on her gallery's website on Artsper.
"Harold Ambellan (USA Buffalo 1912-2006 Arles France) Although friends with the artists Jackson Pollock, de Kooning, Rothko, de Ribera, who benefited like him from the Federal Art Project, and became famous by following the current of Abstract Expressionism, Ambellan, resolutely independent, remained faithful to a figuration close to cubism focused on the human, mainly feminine, in his sculpture, his drawings and paintings.
If Ambellan experiences the best and the worst of the 20th century, it will always be in sincerity. This very handsome man with an elegant and imposing stature, but with a benevolent character, will emerge from it enhanced, like his work, which, without artifice, goes to the essential, appeased, soothing too.
He married three times. In the early 1940s he married Elisabeth Higgins, an American, in New York. With Mona, his second American wife, he decided to leave for Europe in 1954, but divorced once in Paris.
Having worked as a sculptor in Montparnasse for several years, he married Esther Rachel. In 1962, he moved to Antibes where he opened his gallery. When he divorced his third wife in 1978, he moved to the city of Arles where he lived until his death. Harold Ambellan is the father of two daughters.
Born into a modest family, his father was an upholsterer and painter in the building trade, he lived in Buffalo, New York. There he studied art and sculpture. During the Great Depression, like many of his contemporaries, he headed to Florida in search of work, in vain, and returned to his family. He continued sculpting and won the Chaloner Foundation Award, a scholarship that funded his move to New York and his studies at the Art Students League. By 1932 he was living in Greenwich Village and at 31 East 21st Street.
AMBELLAN became involved in trade unionism, took part in sit-ins and became one of the founding members of the radical union "New York Artists Union", the future International Trade Union Confederation, CIO.
1935 FPA FEDERAL ART PROJECT BY ROOSEVELT
From 1935 he was part of the Federal Art Project (FPA) of Franklin Roosevelt's NEW DEAL Agency, the WPA (1935-1943). With its multiple exhibitions and 200,000 creations of works of art, the FPA fed artists with the same salary to get out of the Great Depression and gave rise to the New York School which would dethrone the European School and the first School of Paris of the early 20th century.
1938 MOMA AND METROPOLITANT MUSEUM OF NEW YORK
In 1938 Ambellan exhibited at the MOMA, Museum of Modern Art of New York, for "Subway Art". In 1939, the Wildenstein Gallery in New York exhibited him. In 1940, co-founder of the union "United Sculptors of America", or "Sculptors Guild", he became its president in 1941 and exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, as well as at the Fine Arts Academy in Philadelphia. During the War of 1939-1945 he welcomed and helped two refugees from France, the great sculptors Lipchitz and Zadkine who were fleeing Nazism. Zadkine taught at the Art Students League of New York.
In 1944, like his two brothers, he was enlisted in the US Navy for the landing in France.
1950 1954 MC CARTHY'S BLACKLIST "Red Scare"
But as early as 1947, Harold Ambellan's name was included in the "Black List" of the "Un-American Activities Committee", given his union involvement, his membership in the "American Artists Congress" and "The Artists' Front to Win the War".
Ambellan soon found himself hunted during this policy of "Witch Hunt", amplified by the investiture of Senator McCarthy who, in the context of the Cold War in the 1950s, denounced the infiltration of communist agents in the United States and opened a series of trials for high treason against many innocent artists, children of the New Deal.
From 1953 to 1954, the Commission chaired by McCarthy would never stop tracking down potential communist agents or activists in the United States, exacerbating the policy initiated by the "Un-American Activities Committee", initially focused on the world of cinematographic art and then the Fine Arts. This is how Charlie Chaplin went into exile in Switzerland and Harold Ambellan in France.
After the suicide of sculptor friends, harassed by the "political correctness" of the time, Harold Ambellan fled to France in 1954 and went into exile there forever. First in Paris, then Arles, until his death in 2006.
1988 Permanent exhibition Galerie Lise Cormery
Lise Cormery met him in 1988, thanks to her daughter Zoé who entrusted her with her sculptures. For her personal exhibition in 1989 at her Gallery (Art et Communication, 6, rue de Lanneau, Paris), she wrote about Harold Ambellan, his life, his work and the "FPA Federal Art Project", in a thesis and a sociopolitical book published by the University of Paris Cité Diderot.
If her goal is to open up avenues in France like the New Deal, she hopes to heal Ambellan's still-raw wounds and thus restore his confidence. But it will be in vain, because France from "1984" will sink into an artistic No Man's Land and lose its international artistic aura. As for Paris, which was the City of Light, it will soon become the City of Dust despite the media being all subsidized.
However, despite the time that had passed, Harold Ambellan in the 1990s was still very affected by McCarthyism and despite his friendship with Lise Cormery, he reproached her with visible apprehension for mentioning it in his biography, because he was still haunted by the fear of possible political reprisals from the United States.
In a peaceful burst of passive resistance, Ambellan had exiled himself in France, forever. He would not dare to return there until much later, in the twilight of his life.
ARTS OLYMPICS In 1991 and 1992
During the international events under the aegis of President Mitterrand and the Mayor of Paris, Jacques Chirac, Harold Ambellan was selected to represent the United States at the Olympic Arts Games organized by the Galerie Lise Cormery, for the CNOSF, French National Olympic and Sports Committee, on the occasion of the 1992 Olympic Games in France. This international event followed the Olympic Arts Games in Seoul where the city founded for this competition a Museum of International Paintings and an open-air Museum of Monumental Sculptures, the SOMA with monumental sculptures by guest artists from around the world who came to create their works on site, exhibit and represent 20th century art.
AMBELLAN SOLO SHOWS
1939 Wildenstein Gallery, New York. 1961 Jean Camoin Gallery, Paris. 1971 Schneider Gallery, Rome 1976 Solingen Museum, Germany. 1978 1982 Van Remmen Gallery, Solingen 1989 1990 2006 Galerie Lise Cormery, Art et Communication, Paris.
AMBELLAN PUBLIC COLLECTIONS
Willert Park Courts & Zoo, Buffalo. New York. Brooklyn College, New York. Nathan Cummings, Chicago, United States. Réattu Museum, Former Grand Priory of Malta, Museum of Fine and Contemporary Art of the City of 'Arles, France.
EDITIONS 1989 1990 1991 Guide to Contemporary Art, L'Agend'ART, Editions Lise Cormery. 1991 to 1999 FAIR FIAC SAGA, Grand Palais, With Galerie Lise Cormery Paris.
VIDEO CONFERENCE UNIVERSITY PARIS 2009 University Paris Cité Diderot. RAP Site Parisian Academic Network & YouTube Site "Lise CORMERY & Harold AMBELLAN Sculpture ROOSEVELT'S FEDERAL ART PROJECT." Guest Zoé Ambellan, daughter of Harold Ambellan.
REATTU MUSEUM, Arles
If the Musée Réattu in the city of Arles now houses a collection of his works, the FDA of Franklin Roosevelt which enriched America and created the International and Museum Market of American Art and the Olympics of the Arts of Seoul which have enriched South Korea and created its International and Museum Market, were not followed by politicians in France, except for the Arts Olympiads of 1991 and 1992 which we owe to the exclusive initiative of the CNOSF French National Olympic and Sports Committee, and not to the IOC or the Ministry of Culture, because since the 70s, the French international and museum market has shrunk, like Peau de Chagrin. » End of excerpt from « The Art of the Post-War School of Paris (1945-1999)”, by Lise Cormery.
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GALERIE LISE CORMERY • France
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Harold Ambellan (USA Buffalo 1912-2006 Arles France) is an American sculptor belonging to the Post War Ecole de Paris. Although friend with artists who followed the Abstract Expressionism trend like Jackson Pollock, de Kooning, Rothko, de Ribera, and belonged to the Federal Art Project, like him, Ambellan, very independent, followed his own track in a figurative style with a cubist hint focused mainly on the human body, in his sculpture, drawings and paintings. If he experimented the worse and the best of the XXth Century, he will remain always sincere. This very handsome and powerful man, with a pacific temper, will remain always like his art, without any artificial or theorical posture. In the 40's he gets married in New York with the American Elisabeth Higgins. With his second wife Mona, he decides to flee to Europe in 1954, but they divorce once in Paris. He settles several years as a sculptor in Paris Montparnasse district, and marries for the third times with Esther Rachel. In 1962, they move to Antibes where he opens his studio opened to the public as an art gallery. In 1978, he divorces and settles in Arles where he will stay until his death in 2006. Harold Ambellan is the father of two daughters.
Born in a middle-class family, his father works in the construction business as a painter, they live in Buffalo, in New York state. He studies art and sculpture. During the Great Depression he is finishing High School and travels vainly in order to find work. Back to his family, he devotes his days to sculpture and wins the Chaloner Foundation Prize, with a scholarship allowing him to finance his settlement in New York City and his studies at the Art Students League. In 1932 he lives in Greenwich Village and on 31 East 21st Street.
He gets involved into Labor Unions for the sake of artists, participates to pacific "sit-ins", and becomes one of the founders of the "New York Artists Union", later on CIO.
As soon as 1935 he is engaged into the Federal Art Project (FPA) of the Franklin Roosevelt New Deal Agency, the WPA (1935-1943). With his numerous exhibitions and 200 000 works of art, it will give the same salary to thousand artists and gives rise to the New York Art School, and the flourishing New York Art Market, dethroning the European art market and the First Ecole de Paris in the beginning of the 20th Century.
In 1938, Ambellan has an exhibition in MOMA, Museum of Modern Art of New York, in "Subway Art". In 1939, the Wildenstein Gallery of New York shows his art. In 1940, he is the cofounder of the "United Sculptors of America", or "Sculptors Guild", in 1941 he is elected as President. The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York shows his art as well as the Fine Arts Academy of Philadelphia. During World War II, he welcomes and helps the sculptors Lipchitz and Zadkine seeking a shelter in New-York, as European refugees. Zadkine teaches few classes at the Arts Students League.
In 1944, like his two brothers, he is enrolled into the US Navy and they take part to the D-Day in Normandy.
In 1945, back to New-York, he teaches sculpture and design at the Workshop.
But as soon as 1947, he is blacklisted by the "Un-American Activities Committee". Senaror McCarthy, in a Cold War context, presides it from 1953 to 1954.
But after the suicide of friends, sculptors, tracked without reason, if Charlie Chaplin finds a shelter in Switzerland, Harold Ambellan flees to France in 1954 with his second wife and will remain in France forever, until his death in 2006. Reattu Museum in Arles, has a collection of his art.
Lise Cormery meets him in 1988, thanks to his daughter Zoé who pleads to obtain an exhibition for his sculptures and gives her Ambellan's bronze sculptures to show during her first visit. While Harold Ambellan prepares with Lise Cormery his 1989 and 1990 Solo Show in her Paris Gallery (Art et Communication 6, rue de Lanneau). He confides her his memories, his life in the USA, the "FPA Federal Art Project" and his forced exile to France. She writes on Ambellan and the FPA, in a socio-political essay published by the Denis Diderot University. But, in spite of long years passing by since the 50's, Harold Ambellan remained very hurt and frightened by the Whitch Hunt, the hearings of the 1947 "Un-American Activities Committee", and Senaror McCarthy's trials of the 50's. In spite of the fact, he was part of the D-Day in Normandy with the US Navy, he felt rejected and still susceptible of political harassment in the United States. Although a good friend with Lise Cormery, he resented her for mentioning in his biography these historical facts he had to suffer while he was just an apolitical child of the New Deal.
PARIS ART OLYMPIADS
In 1991 and 1992, under the High Patronage of French President Mitterrand and Jacques Chirac, Mayor of Paris, Ambellan was selected to represent the United States for the Art Olympiads organized by Lise Cormery Gallery for the CNOSF, French Olympic Committee. This international event was following the famous 1988 Art Olympiads in Seoul, South Korea, where a Museum of monumental sculptures in open air and a Museum of International paintings was created for the world competition, in order to invite and show the art of major international artists of the 20th century.
SOLO SHOWS 1939 Wildenstein Gallery, New York. 1961 Galerie Jean Camoin, Paris. 1971 Schneider Gallery, Rome. 1976 Solingen Museum, Germany. 1978 1982 Van Remmen Gallery, Solingen 1989 1990 Galerie Lise Cormery, Art et Com, Paris.
PUBLIC COLLECTIONS Willert Park Courts & Zoo, Buffalo, New York, Brooklyn College, New York. Nathan Cummings, Chicago, Etats-Unis. Réattu Museum, Arles, France. PUBLISHINGS 1989 1990 1991 Contemporary Art Guide, L'Agend'ART, Lise Cormery Publishing, Paris, France. VIDEOCONFERENCE PARIS Diderot UNIVERSITY 2009 Site on RAP University Network and YouTube "Lise Cormery & Harold Ambellan ROOSEVELT'S FEDERAL ART PROJECT." Guest Zoé AMBELLAN, daughter of Harold Ambellan.
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