Georges Lucien GUYOT
(Paris, 1885 - Paris, 1973)
From his earliest age, Guyot was attracted by the world of animals, to which he dedicated his entire sculptor career, seeking tirelessly to understand them better. He worked for fifty years at the Bateau-Lavoir, « city of artists » in Montmartre, until a fire destroyed it.
In 1908, Edouard Marcel Sandoz (1881-1971) convinced Suzanne Breteau, who at that moment led the gallery Edgar Brandt, to organise every year an exhibition of animal art – the « Animaliers du groupe Sandoz » or Groupe des Animaliers -, a feeling of fraternity united this group of artists, whose members were especially Guyot, Hilbert, Petersen, Paul Jouve, Trémont, Jacques Nam and Gaston Suisse.
Guyot exposed in different salons, the Salon des Artistes Français, the Salon des Indépendants, then he became associated to the Salon d’Automne in 1925. He presented also his artworks at the Salon des Tuileries and des Animaliers. In 1931, Pompon and Jeanne Poupelet founded an association of wildlife artists, the Groupe des Douze – or Douze Sculpteurs Animaliers français – whose members were Artus, Baugnies de Saint-Marceau, Chopard, Guyot, Hilbert, Adrienne Jouclard, Jouve, Lémar, Margat and Anne-Marie Profillet. Thereby, wildlife artists were a big family, they met each other, organised exhibitions, they were the avant-garde, advocated a new aesthetic, based on animal subject and simplification of shapes. This artistic medium was a creative emulation favourable to public recognition, to the critique and to the politic power.
During the 30’s, Pompon’s success seduced his young followers, who stylised everything in an easy way, copying his manner. However, Pompon declared: «There is just one I am interested in, Guyot. Because at least he doesn’t make Pompon.» This praise joined what was said during all the career of Guyot, René Jean from the Ère Nouvelle wrote: «Guyot is one of the best wildlife artists we have, maybe the best.» Indeed, contemporary private collectors – Jacques Doucet, Alain Delon -, believe that Guyot deserves his place nearby the most famous names of wildlife sculpture, Bugatti, Pompon, Sandoz and Artus. But it is only at the age of 87, one year before his death, that Guyot received the Grand Prix Edouard-Marcel Sandoz, two years after his first personal exhibition.
Works e.g. : Musée d’Art Moderne (Paris), Musée du Petit Palais (Paris)
