Art Deco Statuette of Young Woman with Bird, 20th Century, Silvered Bronze and Onyx

Details

Description

1. Detailed description:

This small sculpture depicts a kneeling woman holding a stylized bird in her hands, which she gazes … Read more 1. Detailed description:

This small sculpture depicts a kneeling woman holding a stylized bird in her hands, which she gazes at tenderly. Made of silver-plated metal or nickel-plated pewter, it rests on a base of pale green onyx and black veined marble. The woman is nude, except for a light drape falling over her thigh. Her geometric, slicked-back hairstyle and earrings evoke a refined and stylized aesthetic. The elegant posture, fluid forms, and polished material reinforce the poetic momentum of the scene. The expression of gentleness and lightness is in keeping with the presence of the bird, a symbol of peace or freedom.

2. Artistic movement and justification:

This work is fully in line with the Art Deco style, which was dominant in the 1920s and 1930s. It features the typical canons of the movement: geometric shapes, stylized human figures, noble materials, and refined contrasts (here between the shiny metal and the stone base). The free, graceful, sometimes androgynous representation of women is at the heart of Art Deco, which celebrates modernity, beauty, and a restrained but present sensuality. The stylized bird accentuates this decorative approach, focused as much on ornamentation as on symbolism.

3. Artist biography:

There is no visible signature on this sculpture, which makes attribution difficult. However, this type of work is similar to that of Fayral, pseudonym of Pierre Le Faguays, or Demétre Chiparus, two major figures of Art Deco. These artists often collaborated with publishers such as Max Le Verrier to produce series of sculptures in regulite or bronze for interior decoration. Their highly prized works reflect the elegance and avant-garde spirit of the Roaring Twenties, when modern women became muses and central motifs. See less