Et Toujours! Et Jamais!, Pierre Eugène Emile Hébert

Artwork Overview

Et Toujours! Et Jamais!, 1863
Where object was made: France
Material/technique: bronze
Dimensions:
Object Height/Width/Depth (Height x Width x Depth): 149.9 x 63.5 x 68.6 cm
Object Height/Width/Depth (Height x Width x Depth): 59 1/2 x 25 x 27 1/2 in
Credit line: Museum purchase: Friends of the Art Museum
Accession number: 1977.0066
Not on display

If you wish to reproduce this image, please submit an image request

Images

Label texts

Exhibition Label: "Corpus," Apr-2012, Kris Ercums Pierre Eugène Emile Hébert’s macabre bronze sculpture depicts a shrouded, skeletal figure who after rising from the grave has embraced a figure of a nude, young woman whose supple flesh provides a stark contrast to his gaunt, angular limbs. The poetic title of the sculpture can be translated as “Forever and ever!” or “Always! Never!” This enigmatic title invites a variety of interpretations on the transience of life. The common title for this subject is “Death and the Maiden.” A more recent interpretation suggests that the sculpture is a meditation on the possibility of immortality. Another suggested by several of Hébert’s contemporaries is that the shrouded corpse is actually the young woman’s lover who has risen to claim her at the time of her own death. Label Aug-2007: This sculpture’s subject matter and the poetic title, which can be translated as "Forever and ever!" or "Always! Never!," can be linked to the Romantic fascination with medieval tales of death and love. This enigmatic title invites a variety of interpretations, including the idea that the sculpture is meant to emphasize the transience of life. The common title for this subject is “Death and the Maiden.” A more recent interpretation suggests that the sculpture is a meditation on the possibility of immortality. Yet another reading suggested by several of Hébert’s contemporaries is that the shrouded corpse is actually the young woman’s lover who has risen to claim her at the time of her own death. Hébert made his debut at the age of eighteen at the Paris Salon (an annual exhibition) in France in 1846. Et Toujours! Et Jamais!, which is inscribed in the tombstone, was first shown at the Salon as a plaster model in 1859. Four years later he doubled the size, cast it in bronze, and exhibited it again, this time in the Salon of 1863. Archive Label 2003: Hébert made his debut at the age of eighteen at the Paris Salon (an annual exhibition) in France in 1846. Et Toujours! Et Jamais!, which is inscribed in the tombstone, was first shown at the Salon as a plaster model in 1859. Four years later he doubled the size, cast it in bronze, and exhibited it again, this time in the Salon of 1863. The subject matter and the poetic title can be linked to the Romantic fascination with medieval tales of death and love. The enigmatic title invites a variety of interpretations, including the idea that the sculpture is meant to emphasize the transience of life. The common title for this subject is Death and the Maiden. A more recent interpretation suggests that the sculpture is a meditation on the possibility of immortality. Yet another reading suggested by several of Hébert’s contemporaries is that the shrouded corpse is actually the young woman’s lover who has risen to claim her at the time of her own death. Archive Label 1999: Hebért made his debut at the age of eighteen at an annual exhibition in France in 1859. Et Toujours! Et Jamais!, which is inscribed in the tombstone was first shown as a plaster cast. Four years later he doubled the size and cast it in bronze and exhibited it again, this time in the Salon of 1863. The subject matter and the poetic title are linked to the revival of Romanticism in art and literature in the 1800s, depicting medieval tales of life, death and love. Romantic images often depict death in the act of snatching youth, usually young women in their prime. Hebért's closest contemporaries offer another interpretation when they suggested that the shrouded corpse is actually the young woman's lover who has risen to claim her at the time of her own death. Whatever the interpretation, this statue is referred to as Death and the Maiden.

Resources

Audio

Didactic – Art Minute
Didactic – Art Minute
Episode 262. I’m David Cateforis, with another Art Minute from the Spencer Museum of Art. In the Spencer's 19th Century gallery, stands a macabre bronze sculpture. A shrouded, skeletal figure rises from the grave, bits of flesh and facial hair still cling to his bones, and his mouth opens to touch the lips of the voluptuous young woman he embraces. She is nude and limp, her long, flowing hair wreathed with poppies. Who might this dissimilar pair be? Could the haggard skeleton be Death, taking a maiden in the prime of youth? Or could this phantom be the woman’s dead lover, rising to claim her at the moment of her demise? Inscribed on a tombstone is the sculpture’s French title, "Et Toujours!! Et Jamais!!" which may be translated as “Always! Never!” The sculptor Emile Hébert created this work during the Romantic era, with its taste for poignant tales of lost love and tragic death. When it was exhibited at the Paris salon in 1859, Hébert's contemporaries speculated widely on the meaning of the sculpture and its title. Hébert, for his part, never divulged the identities of the cadaver and the maiden, leaving future generations to ponder their eternal enigma. With thanks to Anna Smith for her text, from the Spencer Museum of Art, I’m David Cateforis.
Audio Tour – Bulldog Podcast
Audio Tour – Bulldog Podcast
A bronze sculpture: two figures, a rough, ragged, angular man dressed in a tattered shawl embracing a young, supple, nude woman. Et Toujours! Et Jamais! by Pierre Eugené Emilé Hebert, made in 1863. I chose this sculpture for all of the possible interpretations it holds. Artwork that remains open to the audience for different ideas about its meaning intrigues me. It shows that the artist is not trying to please any group of people, but express their own thoughts and feelings through building something people will appreciate, no matter the meaning. The title is in French, which may translate to "Always! Never!" or "Forever and Ever!" The two appear to be past lovers, although many may argue that this depicts death claiming a woman on her death bed. This provocative piece sparks a certain kind of rawness and longing between the two that runs deep. Although they are opposites, you feel as though they are one person. Pierre incorporates this extremely well into the piece. The man is shabby and textured, the woman soft and smooth. They are shown on what I believe to be a tombstone. The slab of stone that usually lies on top is tossed to the side, leaving a gaping hole that welcomes her into the afterlife. The specific idea of the piece makes me wonder if it connects to Pierre in a personal way. Did he relate to this sculpture? Is this a way of representing his own feelings about a death in his life? The man is a skeleton dressed in rags while the woman remains beautiful and innocent in her youth. Is the man envious of her? Is this piece meant to make us think of our own mortality? The light at the end of the tunnel? The inevitable? All of these questions come to mind while observing Et Toujours! Et Jamais!. This has been Quinlan Muller with another Bulldog podcast!