Lucien Wercollier is one of the most important Luxembourg artists of the twentieth century. Considered the “father” of modern sculpture in Luxembourg, he is best known for his monumental bronze and marble sculptures. He was one of the founders of La Nouvelle Équipe in 1948 and of the Iconomaques in 1954, two modern movements of young Luxembourg artists who broke with figuration.

Born into a family of artists, he studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Brussels (1927-1931) and at the National School of Fine Arts in Paris (1931-1933). As of 1933, the admiration he felt for Aristide Maillol inspired him to simplify his representations of the human body. He turned toward non-figurative art after his encounter with the painters of the École de Paris in 1949. During the Second World War, he was arrested, deported and imprisoned in Nazi concentration camps. His work remained unscathed by these traumas. He favoured harmonious works, often characterized by sensual curves as well as clear and pure volumes.

The work Embrace was given to the museum by the artist in 1976. It shows his almost sensual taste for pure forms and the infinite tenderness with which he imbued the material. It marks a return to the more feminine forms from the beginning of his career that are similar to those found in organic life. Our sculpture is part of a series of works (Maternity, Affection, Attachment) first executed in alabaster and then transposed to bronze. A bronze version can be admired in the park of Villa Vauban in Luxembourg City.