Duchamp-Villon, Pierre-Maurice-Raymond

(1876-1918)

   sculptor

   Pierre-Maurice-Raymond Duchamp-Villon, or Raymond Duchamp-Villon as he is known, was born in Damville, Eure, the brother of the artists jacques villon, suzanne duchamp, and marcel duchamp. Considered one of the masters of the early 20th-century modernist style, he was first influenced by auguste rodin, then the cubists, seeking to simplify forms and achieve a more geometric abstract style. He did busts of individuals (Tête de Baudelaire, 1911), and animals, notably horses (Petit-Cheval, Cheval-Majeur). Progressively he abandoned all representational aspects in his art to achieve angular volume and spherical or cylindrical forms, evoking action (L'Athlète). Despite the brevity of his career, Duchamp made a significant contribution to the development of modern sculpture and the movement toward cubism.