François Rupert Carabin
François Rupert Carabin, perhaps the most brilliant sculptor in wood of the Art Nouveau era, was also an accomplished photographer, medal-maker, and designer of ceramics. His superb work led to his appointment as the director of the Graduate School of Decorative Arts in Strasbourg, France. Carabin, shown here in an 1892 portrait by Charles Maurin, is best known for incorporating female nudes into his decorative art designs. The figures are overtly erotic and depicted as slaves to either the object or its user.
Carabin is especially revered for chairs and tables that incorporate nude female figures as supporting elements. He was also an accomplished photographer and medal-maker. His superb work led to his appointment as the director of the Graduate School of Decorative Arts in Strasbourg, France.
