Marguerite Guitou Knoop (Russian/French/American, 1909-1985), Bronze Portait Bust of a Woman

1936, patinated bronze, signed and dated to posterior base.

12 x 9 1/4 x 9 1/4 in.

Born in Moscow, Russia from parents of Dutch origin, Marguerite Guitou Knoop and family settled in Paris in 1927. Her interest in portrait sculpture was influenced by French sculptor Antoine Bourdelle (1861-1929), as well as her studies with sculptor Charles Despiau (1874-1946) at L'Académie de la Grande Chaumière in Montparnasse. Early works such as this example were created in clay and cast in bronze.

In the 1940's her oeuvre shifted towards abstraction, in particular following a trip to Mexico in 1945, which introduced into her works of pre-Columbian statuary and Mexican vegetation.

Knoop eventually moved to New York City, and was a part of the Abstract Expressionist Movement. She showed and exhibited at Wildenstein Gallery, Andre Emmerich Gallery, and Betty Parsons Gallery.

In 1951, she was apart of the landmark "Ninth Street Art Exhibition" on Broadway, curated by Leo Castelli and featuring around seventy artists. The Katonah Museum of Art recently revisited this exhibition in their 2019-2020 exhibition Sparkling Amazons: Abstract Expressionist Women of the 9th Street Show, which included Knoop alongside other great female abstract artists at this 1951 show, including Lee Krasner, Helen Frankenthaler, Elaine de Kooning, Joan Mitchell, Grace Hartigan, among others.

A few scattered surface marks and rubbing to patina; otherwise good estate condition.