Cubist Wood Sculpture of a Nude by Russian American Sculptor Boris Blai, 1930s

Description

A carved wooden cubist sculpture of a seated nude woman by Boris Blai (1893-1985).

This carving likely dates to the … more A carved wooden cubist sculpture of a seated nude woman by Boris Blai (1893-1985).

This carving likely dates to the 1920s-1930s (during Blai's time in Philadelphia).

Most likely constructed of sections of laminated basswood stained with a dark stain, it has an integral plinth with button feet and a carved signature the base.

The sharp angular lines of the body are starkly contrasted by the soft-edged, almost nondescript depiction of the head and face.

Blai was born in Russia and studied in academies in St. Petersburg, Paris, and eventually under Auguste Rodin. After WWI, Blai emigrated to the US, where aside from his prolific art production, he was also instrumental in the founding of the Tyler School of Art at Temple University, the Long Beach Island Foundation of the Arts & Sciences, and others art institutions.

Height: circa 12 3/4 in. less