ANNA BASS (Strasbourg, 1876- Paris, 1961). "Female nudes". Relief in plaster.

ANNA BASS (Strasbourg, 1876 - Paris, 1961).
"Female nudes".
Relief in plaster.
Sizes: 49 x 100 cm; 64 x 115 cm.
Little is known about the career of this artist. We know that she became known at the Salon d'Automne in 1920 and that she then became one of the revelations of the Alsace region. She soon specialised in depicting the female world and, in particular, the theme of dance. Proof of this is this relief in which circular, sinuous lines enclose the figures.
This relief is entirely in keeping with the Art Deco aesthetic. Art Deco developed from the 1920s onwards, although it enjoyed a long life thanks to the popularity of the cinema, which spread its aesthetic until the 1940s, covering almost the entire inter-war period. The Déco aesthetic is, in a sense, an amalgam of many different styles and movements of the early 20th century and, unlike Art Nouveau, was influenced by the early avant-garde, notably Constructivism, Cubism, Futurism and even Bauhaus rationalism. Progressive archaeological discoveries in Ancient Egypt also left their mark on certain hard lines and the solidity of Art Deco forms. Likewise, as a style of the machine age, it used the innovations of the times for its forms: the streamlined lines of modern aviation, electric lighting, marine cladding, skyscrapers, etc. These influences are reflected in designs of fractioned, symmetrical and clearly geometrical forms. However, it is fundamentally classical art, although it approaches classicism from a new perspective, based on archaeology and elementary aesthetic principles. Art Deco forms are idealised, balanced and proportioned, but at the same time synthetic and essential, far removed from the direct inspiration from nature of the late 19th century. Thus, in this work, the movement and tension of the scene are perfectly captured, elements which are subordinated to the overall composition, the different parts being integrated into the whole to achieve a harmonious and beautiful result of great visual power.