Michaël Lipp: “The Work of Ipoustéguy”

In Lyon, in the center of the square, stands the statue of Louise Labé. The power of her intellect elevates her above earthly conditions. Caught in helical coils—recalling the figura serpentina—she emerges from the block of earth with an upward movement. The composition relies on a contrast between a shaded side and an illuminated side.

This complex form, appearing as a double figure with three legs, is engaged in distinct movements. One leg is embedded in the ascending material, following its spiral motion; above the knee, it disappears into a section of undulating, pleated veils that cast the figure’s right side in shadow. As soon as she emerges from the shadow, the second leg touches the ground again, while the third, freed from the earth, glides into the illuminated zone.

As she ascends, the woman leaves the shadow and enters the light. Moreover, the abstract motifs of the shadow—represented by the drapery covering part of the statue—contrast with the figurative clarity of the parts exposed to light.

The transition from one zone to another—the result of a movement whose nature may be both physical and spiritual—is particularly noticeable in the position of the right arm. Stretched forward in a gesture that points the way, it has already broken with the zone of shadow that still surrounds the other arm. Louise Labé is depicted with two heads. The right half turns slightly, the index finger pointing in the direction of the gaze. The shadow defines the right half of her face beneath a veil of fabric. Emerging from the shadow, this right side shows affinities with the cheek of the second head, which, tilted slightly downwards, is exposed in full light. Above the eyes, at the level of the brain, the two heads intertwine. Though divided into two beings, whose existence is fulfilled in light and shadow, a unity emerges from their coexistence.

Through the formal tension resulting from the distribution of the two bodies between light and shadow, Ipoustéguy opens up a fertile thematic realm. Within this plastic metaphor, an image of the character of Louise Labé emerges. In defining her nature, the sculptor draws upon a specific trait of the poetess, one she described herself in her Sonnet No. 8.

Available at the New York Public Library