 gaston lachaise (march 19, 1882 â october 18, 1935) was an american sculptor of french birth, active in the early 20th century. a native of paris, he was most noted for his female nudes such as standing woman. gaston lachaise was taught the refinement of european sculpture while living in france. he met a young american woman, isabel nagel, and the pair moved to america, where his craft reached maturity and he was influenced and inspired by american ways. lachaise helped redefine the female nude in a new and powerful manner. his drawings also reflected his new style of the female form. ==early life and education== born in paris, lachaise was the son of a cabinetmaker. at age 13 he entered a craft school, where he was trained in the decorative arts, and from 1898 to 1904 he studied sculpture at the Ãcole des beaux-arts under gabriel-jules thomas. he began his artistic career as a designer of art nouveau decorative objects for the french jeweler renÃ© lalique. ==move to america== having fallen in love with a married american woman, isabel dutaud nagle, (she eventually was divorced from her husband and married lachaise  ) lachaise emigrated to the united states in 1906 and worked in boston for h. h. kitson, an academic sculptor producing primarily military monuments. in 1912 lachaise went to new york city and worked as an assistant to the sculptor paul manship. like that of manship, his work can be seen at rockefeller center. in america, lachaise matured into his unique style and portrayal of the female nude. he worked mostly in bronze. lachaise's nudes were seen as strong yet gentle, husky but curvy, and seem to be referring to fertility as well. âthe breasts, the abdomen, the thighs, the buttocksâupon each of these elements the sculptor lavishes a powerful and incisive massiveness, a rounded voluminousness, that answers not to the descriptio
1882_births 1935_deaths Alumni_of_the_Acole_des_Beaux-Arts American_sculptors Art_Nouveau_designers Artists_from_Paris French_emigrants_to_the_United_States Modern_sculptors