Claire Jeanne Roberte Colinet
1885 - 1972
Claire Jeanne Roberte Colinet (1885–1972) was a French sculptor of Belgian origin, active during the early to mid-20th century. Her best-known works primarily featured exotic dancers, odalisques, and jugglers, all executed in a distinct Art Deco style.Her preferred casting material was bronze; in rarer instances, she combined it with ivory to create chryselephantine sculptures of unique beauty and exquisite quality.Colinet regularly exhibited her work at the Salon des Artistes Français and the Salon des Indépendants in Paris. Her sculptures—mostly depicting female figures with magnificent, dynamic forms imbued with pathos—continued to be exhibited posthumously at the Paris Salon for nearly thirty years.Colinet was born in Brussels, Belgium, in 1885. At an unspecified date—likely around 1910—she moved to Paris, where she studied sculpture under Jef Lambeaux. She first exhibited at the Salon des Artistes Français in 1913 and became a full member in 1929. Between 1937 and 1940, she exhibited at the Salon des Indépendants in Paris and joined the *Union des femmes peintres et sculpteurs* (Union of Women Painters and Sculptors).Today, Colinet’s sculptures are highly sought after by collectors. Her most celebrated works include the "Ankara Dancer," the "Theban Dancer," and the "Egyptian Dancer."