EMMA DE SIGALDI (1910 - 2010) Untitled

bronze H. circa 78 cm marble base 28 x 17 cm Sitting between figuration and the pursuit of pure lines, the work of the Monegasque artist Emma de Sigaldi is an exploration of form. Her work evolved in the 1960s. Born Emma Lackner in Karlsruhe, Germany on 22 December 1910, Emma de Sigaldi first dedicated herself to dance in her hometown, then in Dresden under the renowned Mary Wigman. After being appointed principal dancer at the Munich Opera, she opened a dance school in Wiesbaden. She studied sculpture under Bauhaus masters and continued as an autodidact. In 1954, she married the Count de Sigaldi, Captain of the Prince’s Carabiniers, and settled in Monaco. Her first solo exhibition was held in 1960. In her studio, she first created figures modelled in an expressionist style, such as ‘Plongeur’ at the Rainier III Nautical Stadium (1961). From the 1970s onwards, De Sigaldi created marble sculptures with natural forms, influenced by Arp and Moore. In 1983, a retrospective under the High Patronage of Prince Rainier III traced the evolution of twenty-five sculptures by the Monaco-based artist. ‘Colonne de la vie’ was installed on Place des Moulins in 1991. Many of her works are present in public and private collections in Monaco and around the world. The Nouveau Musée National de Monaco has around fifty of the artist’s works, plaster models, drawings and archives in its collections.