Maximilien FIOT (1886-1953) lifelong friends.

Dark brown patinated bronze, signed M. Fiot on the terrace.
Old cast made during the artist’s lifetime, lost-wax casting by the Susse Frères foundry.
Circa 1930.

Signature of the sculptor M. Fiot on the terrace.
Susse Frères foundry stamp and numbered 6.
Inscription “Susse Frères Éditeurs Paris.”
Inscription “Cire perdue,” indicating the casting technique.
“Bronze” stamp.

Dimensions
Width 60 cm
Height 38 cm
Depth 13 cm


Biography Maximilien Fiot
Maximilien Fiot was born in 1886 in Touraine (Le Grand-Pressigny). Fiot began his apprenticeship with the sculptor Prosper Lecourtier, who had himself studied under Frémiet and pursued a career as an animal sculptor, specializing mainly in dogs. For his first appearance at the Salon des Artistes Français in 1904, Fiot exhibited a plaster dog. At that time, he was only eighteen years old and lived a very modest life in a small house in Nogent-sur-Marne, a countryside village on the outskirts of Paris, an area much favored by Impressionist painters. The following year, he received an honorary medal, followed by a bronze medal in 1911 and a silver one in 1913.

After the First World War, Fiot worked on several war memorials. He continued to exhibit at the Salon des Artistes Français, of which he became a member in the 1920s. Fiot created birds, horses, dogs, felines, and wild animals native to French forests; among his most notable works are his group of wild boars and a Fawn, which he exhibited at the 1928 Salon.

He was a naturalist sculptor, contemporary of Pompon. He did not stylize his models but represented them in calm, everyday postures. His style is modern, dynamic, and refined, distinguishing him from other sculptors of his time whose more static works were influenced by the Art Deco style. Fiot’s bronzes stand out for their keen observation of movement, giving his subjects a striking vitality and lifelike quality.

Most of his works were cast in bronze by the Susse Foundry using the lost-wax process. Some of his earlier bronzes were cast by other foundries. He also created original terracotta pieces, which may have served as preparatory studies for his stone sculptures. He often represented animals in pairs or groups. At the 1933 Salon, he was awarded a gold medal, which placed him “hors concours,” meaning he was excluded from future competitions. He continued working until his death in 1953 in Corbeil, Essonne.




Biography of the Susse Frères foundry
The Susse Frères company, originally established in 1758 in Paris, was transformed in the 19th century into one of the most important French art foundry-publishers. The Susse brothers developed bronze casting from the 1830s to the 1840s, acquired a foundry, and signed publishing contracts with major sculptors; the company is particularly renowned for the finesse of its casts and the careful application of patinas. Susse notably produced and reproduced works or models by sculptors such as Pierre-Jules Mêne, Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux, and Jules Dalou, and remains a reference for 19th and 20th century bronzes.