Jeune fille

In 2012, the Claire and Michel Lemay Fund, managed by the King Baudouin Foundation, entrusted this remarkable bronze, entitled Jeune Fille (Young Girl), to the City of Tournai. Signed by the Tournai sculptor George Grard (1901-1984), the sculpture now adorns the main hall of the Town Hall.

The sculpture previously graced the garden of the home of Michel Lemay, a quarrying entrepreneur who was also a passionate art lover. Prior to his death, Michel Lemay wanted to transmit an important part of his personal heritage to the region of his birth, and it was in this spirit that he created, in 2012, the Claire and Michel Lemay Fund, within the King Baudouin Foundation. The Fund is dedicated to supporting the development of the Walloon Picardy region in all its diversity, whether economic, social, heritage, cultural or artistic.

As part of his newly created Fund, Michel Lemay donated the sculpture Jeune Fille (Young Girl) to the King Baudouin Foundation. He had purchased the work directly from Georges Grard, one of the greatest Belgian sculptors of the 20th century, known especially for his monumental sculptures and admiration of the female form.

George Grard, a master of Belgian sculpture

Born in Tournai in 1901, George Grard trained at the Fine Arts Academy of his native city, but in 1930, he was awarded the Rubens Prize and this took him to Paris, a move that had a lasting influence on his style. In 1931, Grard settled in Saint-Idesbald, in Western Belgium, a small town that would become the centre for the School of Saint-Idesbald, frequented by many leading artists. From the 1930s onwards, Grard accumulated numerous distinctions and prestigious commissions and then, in the 1950s, he asserted what would become his favourite theme: the female body. It was a subject that he approached with gentleness, restrained sensuality and a keen sense of volume. His creative process was based on patient preparatory work in plaster, prior to lost-wax casting in bronze. Today, George Grard’s sculptures can be found in Belgium’s most important museums, including in Antwerp, Brussels, Tournai, Liege, Ostend and Verviers, and they remain highly sought after by collectors.

The Claire and Michel Lemay Fund

The Claire and Michel Lemay Fund has as its objective to contribute to the development of Walloon Picardy in various fields. At the request of its donor, this sculpture has, since 2013, graced the main hall of the Tournai Town Hall, Grard’s native city. By entrusting his Jeune fille sculpture to the City of Tournai, the work regains its natural roots in the city of its creator and is accessible to everyone.