Charpentier, Alexandre-Louis (1856 - 1909)

French sculptor and medallist. He studied under Ponscarme at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts. In addition to producing lithographs, after 1892 he worked in several branches of the applied arts (e. g., furniture making, woodwork and leatherwork, ceramics, tapestry, jewellery, pewter work). In co-operation with other artists, he engaged in the decoration of a number buildings. His works were shown at some of the best-known galleries in Paris (Bing’s Art Nouveau Gallery and Julius Meier-Graefe’s Maison Modeme). Still, it was mainly his small sculptures, reliefs and plaques that brought him fame and popularity. He first exhibited his medals at the Paris Salon in 1874. As a member of several international art groups, like of the Viennese ’’Secession” he took part in numerous exhibitions, both at home and abroad, thus achieving considerable international acclaim. He often took his themes from the world of music; also, he frequently made plaques which portrayed his contemporaries. In the year of his death his works were shown in Paris (Salon, Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts) in a retrospective exhibition.