Pegasus by Frédéric Schmied (1893-1972)

This very special sculptural project is linked to the history of modern Geneva. It is a bronze ‘Pegasus’ by Frédéric Schmied (1893-1972), an iconic sculpture (although ultimately not built to scale) designed for the new Cointrin airport terminal in Geneva (1962-1968), an architectural project by Jean Camoletti (1891-1972) in collaboration with architect Jean-Marie Ellenberger (1913-1988).
This is a bronze presentation model (H. 43 cm) on an original triangular wooden base, as reproduced in the 1970 reference book on the sculptor, ‘Frédéric Schmied, statuary, sculptures and drawings’. This was a very specific commission for him, designed as a mythological and metaphorical ode to aviation, which explains why the name of the commissioning architect, Camoletti, is also engraved in the bronze, alongside that of the sculptor-modeller Frédéric Schmied. It is expressly dated 1962, the date on which work began on the new terminal, which was inaugurated in 1968.

Jean Camoletti belongs to a dynasty of architects who have been active in Geneva since the 19th century. He is the son of Marc Camoldetti, architect of the Museum of Art and History (MAH) and the main post office on Rue du Mont-Blanc. Jean Camoletti worked with Jean-Marie Ellenberger on the old terminal (1944) and the new terminal (1968). He also designed the Hôtel Cornavin (1931-1932) in Geneva and the Rialto cinema. When the new terminal was inaugurated in 1949, it was one of the largest airports in Europe. It could accommodate 300,000 passengers. By 1956, this figure had risen to 500,000. The overall layout of this first terminal building is entirely classical in style, following the main rules of French composition, ‘It is perfectly comparable to a castle from the Louis XIII era.’ (as described in 2004 by Swiss architect François Maurice). But air travel had become so popular that it became clear that a new terminal was needed. Once again, Ellenberger, along with Camoletti and other collaborators, built it, as well as the spectacular control tower, which won numerous awards and was quickly nicknamed ‘Goldorak’ by the people of Geneva. (Ref: ‘Jean-Marie Ellenberger, un architecte moderne’ (Jean-Marie Ellenberger, a modern architect), by Sylvie Doriot Galofaro, 212 pages, Slatkine, 2020)
The sculptor Frédéric Schmied, meanwhile, may still be unknown to the people of Geneva, despite being the creator of the famous two equestrian statues on Quai Turrettini. The artist lived on the fourth floor of the building where Ferdinand Hodler also lived, at 29 Quai du Mont-Blanc. His studio was located at Rampe du Pont-Rouge. He was a prolific artist, and it was his depictions of horses in particular, in admirable drawings and sculptures, some of them monumental, that brought him a certain degree of fame.
Born in Zurich but naturalised as a citizen of Geneva, Frédéric Schmied settled in Geneva in 1916. There he married Judith L'Eplattenier (1908–2003), daughter of Charles L'Eplattenier, promoter of Art Nouveau in the Neuchâtel region, who was also a pastel artist. Frédéric Schmied loved sports. He created numerous bronze sculptures of athletes and always remained faithful to figurative art.

At the École des Beaux-Arts in Geneva, Schmied took classes in drawing and painting with David Estoppey and in modelling with the sculptor James Vibert, even working as the latter's assistant for three years. He became a citizen of Geneva in 1922, and the city awarded him a scholarship. He also received two scholarships from the Swiss Confederation. Study trips took him to Paris, London, Florence, Rome, Naples, Barcelona, Munich, Vienna and Stockholm. Frédéric Schmied participated in numerous exhibitions in Switzerland and abroad, including the Venice Biennale in 1926 and the art competition at the 1925 Paris Olympics. He received several prizes in sculpture competitions in Geneva and Zurich. Various Swiss museums and private collectors own his sculptures. For the City of Geneva, he created two stone equestrian statues on the Quai Turrettini, a marble statue entitled ‘Lutteur au repos’ (Wrestler at Rest) for the Stade de Richemont, and a stone relief entitled ‘St-Martin’ in Plainpalais.
This bronze model of ‘Pegasus’, the winged horse symbolising purity and divine power, is a particularly elegant work in terms of its momentum and mythological representation. It is a well-known marker of the end of the sculptor's career. Its dark patina is of very high quality. There is no mention of the founder, but everything suggests that this is a unique piece, a demonstration model for a project that was never realised on a monumental scale, perhaps because it was ultimately deemed too ‘classical’ for the contemporary extension of Cointrin.