Emile Gilioli
Born in Paris on June 10, 1911, Émile Gilioli emerged as one of the leaders of lyrical abstraction in French sculpture in the 1950s, alongside Brancusi and Arp.
Born into a family of Italian shoemakers, Gilioli learned the art of blacksmithing as a child near Mantua. After the First World War, the family moved to Nice. In 1928, he entered the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, influenced by Jean Boucher and Charles Malfray.
Mobilized in 1939, he discovered Cubism in Grenoble, exhibiting in his first gallery in 1945. Back in Paris, he led the abstract school with Poliakoff and Deyrolle, marking his era.
His creations, blending Greek, Egyptian and Cubist influences, earned him a number of notable public commissions, including the Mémorial de la Résistance aux Glières in 1973.
A prolific artist, Gilioli signed such emblematic works as "Prière et Force" (1959-1963) and exhibited in renowned institutions.
His studio, preserved in a building acquired by the municipality of Saint Martin de la Cluze in 1997, is open to the public.
Value of a Gilioli sculpture: Estimates from €3,000 to €70,000.
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