Ary Bitter

Ary Bitter (1883–1973) was a French artist, best known for his animal sculptures. He was a designer, painter, and sculptor in various mediums including plaster, stone, terracotta and bronze. His work was also produced in biscuit porcelain by the Sèvres factory.

Biography

Early life Ary Jean Léon Bitter was born in Marseille in 1883. and In 1895 he enrolled at the Marseille Beaux Arts and was taught by Émile Aldebert and from 1913 by Jules Coutan. The "Pavillon de l'alimentation" Bern

Bitter was commissioned to create a sculpture for the 1914 Exposition Nationale Suisse held in Bern. The work was not kept. Mazargues War Memorial (monument aux morts) Mazargues cemetery. Marseille.

In Bitter's composition an "Angel of Victory" with wings spread, is placing a crown of laurel on the head of a French soldier. Beneath these figures a woman wearing a mourning veil is depicted with her child. "Les Colonies d'Asie" and "Les Colonies d'Afrique" La gare Saint-Charles de Marseille

This main railway station has a large flight of stairs designed by the architects Eugène Sénès and Léon Arnal and using reinforced concrete. The competition for the designs of the stairway, intended to improve movement between the town centre and the railway station forecourt, was opened in 1911 but the 1914-1918 war delayed completion of the project until 1925. The stairs run from the railway station to the Boulevard d'Athènes. The area is the site of much sculptural work including a group of lions and children by Arry Bitter and the works "Marseille Colonie Grecque" and "Marseille Porte d'Orient" by Auguste Carli. There are also six small bronze groups representing the produce of Provence. These are by Henri Raybaud and cover "les vendages", "les fruits", "la pêche", "les fleurs", "la moisson" and "la chasse". At the bottom of either side of the main stairs are two large sculptures by Botinelly. One, called "Colonies d'Asie" represents colonial Asia and the other, called "Colonies d'Afrique", represents colonial Africa.

Bargemon War Memorial (monument aux morts) Bargemon

The war memorial is located in the rue Jean-Jaurès and features an infantryman standing on a rock which serves as a pedestal carrying the names of those remembered. He stands "at ease" leaning on his rifle. Houdan War Memorial (monument aux morts) Houdan

The Houdan war memorial stands in front of the Houdan mairie and features a soldier (Poilu) and a relief depicting the Croix de Guerre. On the pedestal is the dedication and on each side are palms of the "Union Nationale des Combattants". On the three other faces of the pedestal the names of the dead are listed both of the Great War and the Second World War (including civilians) and the Algerian conflict. The sculpture of the bronze soldier is the work of Bitter. Diana École professionnelle dite Ecole nationale d'Optique puis lycée polyvalent Victor Bérard. Morez

A statue in white porcelain. In Bitter's composition a naked Diana sits deep in thought on a semi-circular pedestal .

The statuette was acquired by the French State from the 1923 Salon des Artistes français and from 1926 onwards the Manufacture nationale de Sèvres produced editions in coloured biscuit, in terracotta and other mediums and continued to do so until 1933. One copy can be seen in Roubaix at the Musée d'Art et d'Industrie. The version at the Lycee was produced by Henri Robert the Sèvres modeller from 1889 to 1933. Keystones (clefs d'arc) Vitry-sur-Seine

The building at 4 route de Fontainebleau in Vitry-sur-Seine was an orphanage but is now a school (Adolphe Chérioux). Bitter created two keystones for the entrances, one depicts a young girl reading a book and the other a young woman seated at a desk with a needlework box. "Bacchus Enfant" Marseille. Musée Cantini

A statuette "Femme assise" Barentin

A work in terracotta which can be seen in the Barentin mairie. Monument to Edmond Rostand Marseille

This monument was inaugurated on 13 April 1930. Pavillon de la Céramique et de la Verrerie Quai d'Orsay. Paris

For the entrance of the 1937 " Exposition internationale des arts et techniques", Bitter executed the work "La Verrerie".