French Art Deco Bronze Sculpture “Leaping Stag and Hind” by André-Vincent Becquerel

Description

An exquisite and rare Art Deco bronze sculpture of a Leaping Stag and Hind circa 1930-40, the model is sealed … more An exquisite and rare Art Deco bronze sculpture of a Leaping Stag and Hind circa 1930-40, the model is sealed with the Susse Freres foundry cachet and Becquerel's signature is captured directly from the mold and transferred into the bronze. There is a repeated emphasis of graceful cyma-curves in the deer, most prominently in their symmetrical neck profiles and the curves of their backs and bellies, but also in the incised sweeping lines that texture their coats. The naturalistic foliage of the base rises into a bush with a form of undulating and chaotic outgrowth that pitches forward like a cascading ocean wave. All elements of the work seek to emphasize forward movement and momentum.

ARTIST
André-Vincent Becquerel was born in the Oise district of France at St. Andre-Farivilliers in 1893. He studied under Prosper Lecourtier, the prominent sculptor of the Animalier school, as well as Hector Lemaire and he began exhibiting at the Salon des Artistes Française in 1914 through 1922. The most well-known sculpture in his body of work is The Finish, a sculpture of two racehorses crossing the finish line executed with the essence and verve of the Art Deco movement. While he produced a large selection of Art Deco figures of wedded couples, children at play and other interesting genre scenes, his cherished studies of large cats, birds, deer and other animals remain his most lasting contribution.

Artist Listings & Bibliography:

Animals in Bronze, Christopher Payne, 2002, p. 396 (biography)
E. Benezit Dictionary of Artists, Gründ, 2006, Vol. I, p. 1463 (biography)
Dictionary of Western Sculptors in Bronze, James Mackey, 1977, p. 38 (biography)
Art Deco and other figures, Bryan Catley, 1989, p. 41-44 (depicting a series of his work, present sculpture not included)

Measurements: 18" H x 29 3/4" W (at widest point; 23 1/8" W at base) x 5 3/8" D less