About The Artist Pierre Lefebvre Pierre Lefevre has been sculpting for the Boehm Porcelain Studio for 23 years and as Master Artist since 1989. Born in 1942, he grew up in France where he studied at Les Arts Decoratifs and showed his works in numerous galleries and institutions, including the European Parliament in Strasbourg. Subsequently he was accepted to the prestigious Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA), the oldest fine arts school in the United States, and granted a 4 year full scholarship. At the PAFA it was Walter Hancock who first instilled in him an inclination towards realism, by making him concentrate on the human figure. Harry Rosen and other masters influenced Pierre in exploring various other subject matters, the animal world in particular, in the tradition of the "Animaliers" of the late 19th century. After his graduation from PAFA, Pierre collaborated with many institutions, including the University of Pennsylvania Museum. He taught sculpture classes privately and also at Chestnut Hill College, and was for three years commissioned by the American Bicentennial Commemorative Society in preparation for the 1976 celebrations in Philadelphia. Among the state personalities presented with Pierre's art~ work were Queen Elizabeth II, President Giscard d'Estaing of France and King Carl XVI Gustav of Sweden. Other private commissions included portraits of Dr. Frank Moya of Pennsylvania Hospital, U.S. Ambassador to Switzerland Faith Whittlesey, her husband Roger and daughter Amy, and the winners of the Fauss Gordon Awards at Dayton 500, Mario Rossi and Roger Wood. Intrigued to master the complex art form bas-relief, Pierre then studied with Frank Gasparro, former Chief Engraver at the U.S. Mint. The result led to the design of hundreds of commemorative coins, medals and ingots for the Historic Mint of Long Island, the Danbury Mint and others, and ultimately in 1972 to a full time position with Mount Everest Mint, as head of the art department. In 1977 Pierre joined the Boehm Studio, where his established tradition for realism and attention to detail were very well suited to the company's style, as it had been preserved and maintained after Edward Boehm's death by his widow, Helen Boehm. Besides overseeing a team of artists (six sculptors at one time), in the U.S. as well in the U.K., Pierre developed a totally new technique for the creation of porcelain flowers of a delicateness never accomplished before. This resulted in the successful designing, firing and shipping of a 9 foot long by 5 foot tall flower centerpiece consisting of hundreds of flowers, leaves and stems. This centerpiece was commissioned by the Osaka International Garden and Greenery Exposition in 1990. Many examples of Pierre's porcelain masterpieces found their way to international museums, such as the life-size American Bald Eagle, nicknamed the "Hermitage Eagle" after the famous museum in St. Petersburg, where it is on permanent display. Futhermore, the "Harbinger of Peace", representing a dove of peace released by Pope John II's hands, is presently in the private apartment of Pope John II. Also to be mentioned is the "Global Peace", a testament to the historic end of the Cold War, commissioned by President Reagan as a gift to Premier Gorbachev, a second copy of which is on display in the U.N. building in New York. Another major work is the "Sea-toShining-Sea Eagle", on display in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Numerous other porcelain sculptures are permanently displayed in the White House, the Smithsonian Institute, Buckingham Palace, Elysee Palace and other locations. Copyright 1999 All rights reserved Concorde Fine Arts