HUBERT AU BANDEAU stands out for the particularly strong sense of movement that runs through the sculpture. The figure’s posture, casual appearance and travel bag give the composition a genuine sense of dynamism, as though Hubert had paused mid-journey for just a moment. This impression of movement naturally echoes Bruno Catalano’s Les Voyageurs series, in which departure, transition and the construction of identity play a central role.
Hubert is also a recurring figure in Bruno Catalano’s work. A close friend of the artist, he has been portrayed on several occasions and has become one of the familiar models within Catalano’s body of work. In this version, however, the headband introduces a distinctive detail that refreshes his appearance and immediately sets the sculpture apart from more familiar representations of Hubert.
His casual clothing further reinforces the natural and contemporary character of the figure. Far from appearing static or solemn, Hubert emerges as an everyday traveller, captured in a moment of movement, with his bag acting almost as an extension of the body and a direct evocation of departure.
The patina is another of the sculpture’s defining qualities. Its delicate, subtly nuanced pastel tones bring a particular softness to the bronze, creating a striking contrast with the powerful fragmentation that characterises Catalano’s work. This elegant and luminous palette allows Hubert au bandeau to integrate easily into a wide variety of interiors, from contemporary to more classical settings, while retaining a strong sculptural presence.
HUBERT AU BANDEAU represents a rare opportunity to acquire an iconic Bruno Catalano sculpture: elegant, distinctive and resolutely contemporary.
Available at Galerie De Medicis, Paris.
