René Chavance, "Le XXI Salon des Artistes Décorateurs," Mobilier et Décoration, June 1931, p. 289
Catalogue Essay
French sculptor Raymond Delamarre achieved initial acclaim in 1919 after winning the prestigious Prix de Rome, which allowed him to travel and study in Italy for four years. Following his tenure in Rome, Delamarre moved back to Paris where he exhibited at various international art and design salons during the 1920s and 1930s. Throughout his career, the subjects of his work varied greatly. Though agnostic himself, Delamarre created a number of works, such as the present lot, that are ecclesiastical in theme. But he also gained recognition for his commemorative works such as the Monument à la Défense du Canal de Suez as well as his monumental bronze bas relief panels in the first-class dining room of the SS Normandie.
The artist designed the present sculpture, titled La Tentation or Adam et Eve, in 1928 and created it in bronze as an edition of 10 as well as in plaster in an unknown edition size. Here, he has depicted part of the Judeo-Christian creation story in which Adam and Eve are tempted by a serpent to eat fruit from the forbidden tree, thus banishing them from the Garden of Eden. Delamarre depicts these characters in a mannerist style and flanks them with an antelope and lion on each side. Though this Genesis story was not a particularly popular theme for many artists working in the Art Deco style, the way that Delamarre figured these lithe bodies not only reflects his sculptural prowess but also the streamlined forms of the time. Along with a number of his other works, the present design was included in the original interior of the Hotel George V in Paris.