A patinated terracotta bust of a woman on a marble foot Belgium, mid 20th century Ernest Patris was a Belgian expressionist painter, ceramicist and sculptor of busts, portraits, heads, figures and monuments. Originally working as a cartoonist and modeller, he started working with clay as a hobby. He then enrolled at the Gilly Vocational School to learn to work with bronze and at the Ghent Academy to study anatomy. Encouraged and guided by James Ensor, an important Belgian expressionist and surrealist painter of that time, the young Patris devoted himself entirely to sculpture. Later in life he set up a ceramics studio, then started a bronze foundry, after which he operated a gallery and continued to do public commissions until his death in 1981. Height = 23 cm Weight = 1080 g Hand signed on the back 'E Patris' Good condition. Light traces of use and age. For a good impression, please watch all photos carefully. Insured shipping. Can also be collected in Ghent, Belgium.