GEORGES LUCIEN GUYOT (France, 1885-1973) & SÈVRES "Babouin assis", c. 1928. Glazed earthenware. Signed on the base. Measurements: 18 x 13 x 14 cm. Georges Guyot was born in Paris, in the working-class district of the Bastille, where most of the artisans were concentrated. When he reached adolescence, his talent for drawing was evident and he became an apprentice to a local woodcarver. Guyot discovers Barye's works during a visit to the Louvre and decides to change direction. He wants to make animal sculptures and learn to work with other materials. In 1906, he exhibited for the first time at the Salon des Artistes Français with a statue of a beggar bear, and in 1909 he exhibited his first bronze work and from then on he devoted himself exclusively to sculpture. In 1910 he received a bronze medal. At this time he exhibited mainly representations of dogs and some busts. These first works were very realistic, but soon after he began to stylize his statues more, preserving the naturalism. His work is part of the collections of several museums, including the Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris. A large bear by Guyot is also in the Vincennes Zoo.