ARY BITTER

(1883-1973)

Ary Bitter was born in Marseille at at the age of 12 he began attending the Marseille Ecole de Beaux Arts where he trained under Emile Aldebert and Jules Coutan. In 1900 and 1901 he received first prize in sculpture as well as recognition for design. In 1902 he moved to Paris, with a scholarship fund from the City of Marseille, and joined the studio of Louis-Ernest Barrias. He later attended the Ecole Nationale Superieure des Beaux Arts. By 1912, after having won several major awards, he began exhibiting at the Salon des Artistes Francais which he did regularly until 1939. His commissions included a collaboration with the renowned foundry, Susse Freres, to work with them on several limited editions. He was made a Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur (Knight of the Legion of Honor) in 1932, and in 1937 he was awarded a gold medal at the Exposition Internationale des Arts et des Techniques de Paris.