User:SMcCandlish/Incubator/Pedro Rigual

Pedro Rigual, also represented as P. Rigual or simply Rigual on many of his works, was a sculptor based in Paris, and an exemplar of the Art Nouveau movement. He was born in Spain to French parents. Rigual is best known for busts and full-figure romanticised depictions of young women with the flowing garb, elaborate hats, and floral accents characteristic of the genre. Bronze, spelter, and plaster vintage casts of his works remain popular, comparatively affordable collectibles among Nouveau fanciers (the metal ones were usually signed in the mould, while the plaster ones were not but were hand painted, making them collectible for a different reason). Most of his readily available pieces are small figurines, though some larger pieces, around half life-size, are also to be found.

Rigual's works, especially his most commercial and objet d'art pieces, were often derivative, especially of earlier works by the more famous Nouveau sculptor Emmanuel Villanis. For example, Rigual's Cleopatre, ca. 1900–1905, is based directly on Villanis's piece of the same title, dating to the 1890s. They feature essentially identical composition, curves, and angles, but with some details changed, and a different face – Rigual's is idealised and youthful, while the Villanis original is a straightforward portrait of actress Sarah Bernhardt dressed up for the role of Cleopatra (whom she played in two different productions in two different years). Rigual even borrowed Villanis's basal inscription style, as did many other sculptors of the era.