Édouard Fraisse studied under Barrias, Coutan, Chalpain and Vernon. He collaborated with Henry Demey on numerous medals and plaquettes that typically depicted figures and especially sports figures in action. They were considered to be some of the best and most prestigious plaque and medal makers in France during the 1920s and 30s. He also made statues and sculptures, however, and painted. Fraisse studied in Lyon and was a member of the Société des Artistes Français and the Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts. In 1929 he was appointed Knight of the Legion of Honor. In view of Fraisse’s extensive oeuvre of sports topics, it is not easy to identify the submitted works, as which of his medals have actually been shown in 1924 and 1928 is not known. The sculpture Athlete is probably a bronze statuette about 32 cm high, which was awarded in 1937 the gold medal in the Salon des Artistes Français. It had been created, however, around 1930.
France