Alexandre Kéléty
(1874–1940)
Alexandre Kéléty was a Hungarian-born sculptor who became a notable figure in the Parisian Art Deco movement. Active from around 1918 until his death in 1940, he worked across bronze, ivory, marble, terracotta, and ceramics, producing elegant works that often explored themes of childhood, animals, and dance. After the First World War, Kéléty emigrated to France and studied under the painter and engraver Imre Karoly Simay in Toulouse before continuing his training in Paris. He married Hélène Grün, daughter of the Russian-born French painter Maurice Grün, and established himself in the thriving artistic circles of the interwar years.
Kéléty exhibited regularly at the Salon de la Société des artistes Français, showing terracotta, bronze, and ivory works during the 1920s and 1930s. His sculptures were also displayed at the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts in 1925 on the stands of Arthur Goldscheider and Edmond Etling, two of the leading art publishers of the period. At the 1937 Paris Universal Exhibition, he presented works cast by the Etling and Les Neveux foundries of Jules Lehmann.
Close-up of the shorthand Alexandre Kelety signature upon an art deco bronze figure
sold by Jacksons Antique
Alongside figural works and busts, Kéléty produced functional Art Deco objects such as lamps, ashtrays, and incense burners. His sculptures were admired for their refined modelling, expressive patinas, and the distinctive fusion of classical influence with modern Art Deco aesthetics. In 1939 he was even advertising drawing lessons in Paris, showing his continued dedication to the arts until his death in 1940.
Today, Kéléty’s work remains sought after, with his chryselephantine statuettes, animal studies, and decorative objects regarded as fine examples of French Art Deco sculpture.