Josette Hébert-Coëffin

Josette Hébert-Coëffin (16 December 1906 Rouen – 3 June 1973 Neuilly-sur-Seine) was a French sculptor, medallist and a recipient of a 1937 Guggenheim Fellowship.

Early life and education Hébert-Coëffin was born on 16 December 1906 in Rouen, France. She studied at the École supérieure d'art et design Le Havre-Rouen under the direction of Victorien Lelong and earned first prize in sculpture and architecture at age 16 in 1922. She was later a student of Robert Wlérick and Charles Despiau in Paris. She later studied under Richard Dufour and worked in Alphonse Guilloux's studio.

Career In 1927, Hébert-Coëffin exhibited two busts, Beethoven and Resignation, at the Salon des artistes francais. In 1937, she received a Guggenheim Fellowship and created models for the manufacture nationale de Sèvres. She also won gold medals at the 1937 World's Fair and the société d'encouragement pour l'industrie. She was elected to the académie des sciences, belles-lettres et arts de Rouen the following year as the third female member after Colette Yver and Louise Lefrançois-Pillion. In 1939, she showed her work at the Salon des Arts Décoratifs. Between 1938 and 1947, she worked under Maurice Gensoli.

Hébert-Coëffin spent time at the Monnaie de Paris learning to become a medallist. Throughout her career, she made nearly 300 medals, including one for René Coty. She was the first woman to be commissioned to create a medal for a head of state since the time of François the 1st She also created a medal for Charles de Gaulle. In 1968, she presented de Gaulle with a medal in honor of the Winter Olympics. The medal was later awarded to the French national team. Jean Cocteau requested her specifically for the creation of his medal after seeing her drawings of cats.

Personal life Hébert-Coëffin was married to industrialist and aviator Charles Coëffin. She died on 3 June 1973 in Paris Coupe aux Boeufs de Hongrie (1940), bronze Virgin and Child, known as Madonna statuette - Sainte-Foy Church, Lacalm, France Bas-relief (1947) - Hôtel des Postes, Rouen, France The doe and her fawn (1948) Our Lady of Prudence (1958), statue, on the side of the route nationale 13 in Pacy-sur-Eure, France. Saint Vincent de Paul, bas-relief - Collégiale Notre-Dame d'Écouis, Écouis, France Monument to Tristan Bernard - Place Tristan Bernard, Paris, France Bust of Tristan Bernard - Comédie-Française. Commissioned by Comédie-Française, donated by Bernard's family, and displayed in the foyer. René Tamarelle, bronze medallion - Square René-Tamarelle, Bihorel, France William the Conqueror stele - Saint-Valery-sur-Somme, France Commemorative plaque of the Mora (1966) bronze plaque - Barfleur, France Plaque du Général Giraud (1954) - Barentin (Seine-Maritime), France Monument in bronze for Jean Perrin - Jardin des Champs-Élysées, (opposite the Grand Palais), Paris, France Bust of Louis Ricard - Court of Appeals, Rouen, France Stele and bronze portrait of Charles de Gaulle - Place du Général-de-Gaulle Bust of Etienne Louis Malus, plaster - Museum of the École polytechnique

Medals The Pont Saint-Jean (Bordeaux) (1965), bronze. Other version in silver plated bronze. French Republic. Ministère du travail. Caisse nationale de prévoyance (1975), bronze Sud-Ouest, bronze Marie Curie (1867–1934) (1967), bronze - Monnaie de Paris, Paris, France 1968 Winter Olympics, Grenoble (1968), bronze Joan of Arc (1431–1456) (1971), bronze - Monnaie de Paris, Paris, France Philippe Boiry (1927–2014) (1965) Dean Denis Leroy (1973) - Rennes, France Memorial of the Natzweiler-Struthof concentration camp liberation

Paintings Napoleon III : study for the allegory of France, charcoal drawing - Musée Hébert, Paris, France Ophelia with Cornflowers, painting - Musée Hébert, Paris, France

Exhibitions France

1927: Salon des artistes français - Beethoven and Resignation, busts 1927-1939: Salon des artistes rouennais 1931: Salon des artistes français - bronze sculpture of the Société des artistes français 1933: Salon d'automne 1935: Salon des Indépendants. Acquired by the General Council of the Seine. 1936: Salon des Indépendants - sparrow. Stolen during the exhibition. 1936: Salon des arts ménagers - Le Toucan 1936: Salon d’automne - Oiseaux 1936: Exposition des Seize, Rouen - aviation monument, Ministry of Air 1938: Galerie L’Équipe - Abstract and Non-Objective Art exhibition 1938: Petit Palais - 33rd Group of Artist de ce temps 1938-1953: Salon des Tuileries 1940: Salon d'automne 1962: Musée Carnavalet - Medal of the SS France (1960) Unknown date: Château de Rambouillet

Austria 1957: Kunsthistorisches Museum - Modern French Medallists exhibition

Brazil Ambassade de France au Brésil - Vase decorated with ram's head

Italy Villa Médicis

United Kingdom 2006 (post-mortem): British Museum - Médaille des 1968 Winter Olympics Grenoble 2019 (post-mortem): The Sladmore Gallery - Sculptures of Les Animaliers 1900–1950

United States 1939: Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation - Non-Objective Painting Collection. No. 7 and No. 8, oil on paper. 1940: Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation - Ten American Non-Objective Painters 1951: National Gallery of Art - Medal Jean Cocteau

Awards 1934: Bouctot Prize (fine arts), Académie des sciences, belles-lettres et arts de Rouen 1936: Silver Plaquette, 21st annual competition organized by the Société d'encouragement à l'art et à l'industrie 1937: Gold medal, Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques dans la Vie Moderne 1937: Guggenheim Fellowship 1938: Membership, Académie des sciences, belles-lettres et arts de Rouen Officer of the National Order of the Legion of Honour Knight of the National Order of Merit Knight of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres Knight of the Order of Cultural Merit (Monaco)