About Emanuel Villanis

Emanuel Villanis

(French, 1858-1914)

Emmanuel Villanis was a most active and known artist of the Art Nouveau era. He is believed to have created some 200 to 250 pieces. His body of work consisted of busts and full body statues. The majority of these were cast in bronze, but there are also models in white metal, Spelter and Terra Cotta.

Born in France in 1858 to Italian parents, artist Emmanuel Villanis studied at the Academy of Fine Arts Albertina in Turin before returning to Paris to embark on his career as a sculptor. His work combined the neoclassical tradition with the then-emerging Art Nouveau style, with subjects drawn from mythology, opera, and literature. Emmanuel Villanis‘ sculptures were primarily cast at leading Paris foundries, and were available for clients to purchase in several sizes and types of metal: bronze, pewter, or spelter, which is a type of zinc alloy.

As he developed into one of the premier artists of the Art Nouveau period, Emmanuel Villanis‘ sculptures and other artwork became highly sought after and were frequently exported around the globe.