Victor-Joseph-Jean-Ambroise Ségoffin (1867-1925) studied under Cavelier and Barrias and was awarded the Prix de Rome in 1897. He specialised in portraits of artists, but under the influence of his masters and that of Rodin and Falguière also produced allegorical and mythological figures. He exhibited at the Salon from 1890 and at the Artistes Français, his most notable Salon entries were the Mauvais Génie of 1892, the Semeurs de mondes of 1896, the Judith et Holopherne of 1898 and the Vercingétorix of 1912 for the Panthéon. The delicate intimacy of his small portraits, such as the Léon Bonnat assis contrasts with the magnitude and vigour of his public works, such as the Monument to Voltaire for the Panthéon and the Monument to the poet Hérédia in the Jardins de Luxembourg, and reveals his versatility and mastery of technique. Ségoffin was created an Officer of the Légion d'Honneur and was a committee and jury member of the Artistes Français.
The present model, known both as La Danse Guerrière or La Danse Sacrée was commissioned in plaster in 1903 and in marble in 1904. The plaster stood in the Ministère du Commerce in 1908, moved to the Musée in Agen in 1913 and was destroyed in 1964. The over life-size marble stood in the Palais de l'Élysée in 1905, but is now in the Musée d'Orsay. The Musée d'Orsay catalogue (op. cit.) mentions a half size marble version which was not located, and may be the present lot. The Parisian foundry Susse edited the figure in bronze in different sizes, as well as the Judith et Holopherne.
Stylistically, the Danse Guerrière relates to Rude's triumphant Génie de la Patrie of 1835-6, in particular the audacious force and expression of the central figure, and it is inevitable that Ségoffin would have admired the group on the Arc de Triomphe. It is remarkable that an artist capable of the gentle nuances and keen characterisation seen in all his portrait work, was able to produce such a vigorous and idiosyncratic work. The strange proto-Classical dance step of the figure may have been a result of the incipient interest in the Antique of the world of dance of the time, culminating in the performances of Isadora Duncan, though Antique examples of maenads dancing in abandon with cymbals must also have struck the artist, and he would have seen these in Rome.
Besides the forceful impact of the image and its pose, Ségoffin's work is remarkable for the excellence of technique. The balance in marble of the out-stretched arms and the thin veil is an admirable feat, as is the nervous realism of the carving of the marble both on the face and in the flowing curls of her hair, and the heavy rippling drapery gathered at her feet. Tension and movement are conveyed throughout the piece, from the cymbals, flaring hair and drapery to the torsion of her left foot. While creating a sweeping and stridant image with breathtaking operatic effect, Ségoffin has payed attention to the decorative minutiae of the cloak clasps, the belt clasp and leather sandals. The dating on the present lot is intriguing, extending from 1905 to 1913, and may refer to the date of completion of the large original model and the date of completion of this marble. A rare and important work, La Danse Guerrière is a masterly technical and aesthetic image by Ségoffin.