Silvered Bronze Duck Sculpture, French Work, circa 1940

A charming animalier sculpture depicting a duck in patinated silvered bronze, with a naturalistic and expressive quality that testifies to the vitality of the French animalier tradition of the 1930s and 1940s. The silvered bronze — a noble and resilient metal — allows a refined rendering of the feathers, bill, and characteristic posture of the bird. The silver plating lends the piece a luminous lightness and a particular brilliance that accord perfectly with the delicacy of the subject.

French animalier sculpture constitutes one of the richest chapters of nineteenth and early twentieth-century decorative and sculptural art. From the major works of Antoine-Louis Barye — considered the father of modern animalier sculpture — through to the productions of the Parisian foundries of the 1930s and 1940s, the art of representing animals in bronze was brought to an incomparable level of excellence. Ducks and waterfowl were greatly favoured subjects, combining the grace of movement with close and precise observation of nature.

This silvered bronze duck will find its natural place on a console, a fireplace mantle, a writing desk, or a bookshelf, bringing a note of natural charm to any interior. It will harmonise beautifully with other bronzework and decorative sculpture, in the spirit of a cabinet of curiosities or simply for the pleasure of a discreet and elegant animal presence.