André Vincent Becquerel Art Deco Bronze Bird Sculpture on Portoro Marble Base

Details

Description

André Vincent Becquerel (French, 1893–1981) Art Deco Bronze Bird Sculpture on Portoro Marble Base, circa 1935
Signee André Vincent Becquerel

… Read more André Vincent Becquerel (French, 1893–1981) Art Deco Bronze Bird Sculpture on Portoro Marble Base, circa 1935
Signee André Vincent Becquerel

An important and historical pedigree bronze sculpture, a finely modeled French Art Deco bronze sculpture depicting a mother bird perched upon a stylized branch, gently feeding her chick. The composition balances intimacy and sculptural clarity, with softly simplified volumetric forms and restrained detailing characteristic of late Art Deco design.

The sculpture is signed with the artist’s distinctive overlapping A V monogram, where the “V” intersects the “A,” a signature format documented in works by André Vincent Becquerel (1893–1981). This monogram confirms the attribution.

The bronze is mounted on an elegant Portoro marble plinth, distinguished by its dramatic black ground and bold golden veining — a material frequently favored in refined French decorative arts of the 1930s. Quality marble with a wonderful patina.

About the Artist:

André Vincent Becquerel was born in northern France and trained at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. He studied in the ateliers of Hector Lemaître and Prosper Lecourtier, the noted animalier sculptor, and later worked with Charles Valton, whose lineage traces directly to Antoine-Louis Barye and Emmanuel Frémiet.

Becquerel began exhibiting at the Salon des Artistes Français in 1914 and continued to do so throughout his career. He was awarded a bronze medal in 1944, a gold medal in 1945, and in 1952 received the prestigious Prix de l’Yser, which granted him hors concours status.

He is particularly celebrated for his feline subjects — capturing cats stretching, stalking, clawing at tree stumps, or rubbing affectionately against natural elements — yet his broader body of work demonstrates a refined sensitivity to animal movement and quiet behavioral intimacy. This avian composition reflects the same sculptural restraint and observational nuance seen in his best-known works.

The artist is documented in major reference works including:

• Bénézit, Dictionnaire des peintres, sculpteurs, dessinateurs et graveurs
• Brian Catley, Art Deco and Other Figures
• Jean-Charles Hachet, Dictionnaire illustré des sculpteurs animaliers
• James Mackay, The Dictionary of Sculptors in Bronze
• Christopher Payne, Animals in Bronze
• Michel Legrand, Mascottes Passion and Mascottes Automobiles

The bronze presents a rich, warm patina with subtle tonal variation that enhances its sculptural modeling. The elevated branch composition combined with the architectural marble base situates this piece firmly within the late Art Deco period, circa 1930–1940.

An elegant and collectible example of French animalier sculpture by a documented Salon artist, equally suited to refined Art Deco interiors and serious bronze collections.

Measurements:
11 1/2" Long (marble base)
8 1/4" High
2 1/2" Deep

Very good vintage condition with age-appropriate patina and minor surface wear consistent with age and handling.

Works by Salon medalist André Vincent Becquerel, particularly signed examples mounted on Portoro marble from the height of the Art Deco period, remain highly sought after by collectors of refined French animalier bronzes and continue to command strong results at the upper tier of the decorative bronze market.

A signed André Vincent Becquerel bronze with his distinctive overlapping A-V monogram, this refined Art Deco example reflects direct training lineage through Charles Valton to Barye and Frémiet — the foundation of the French animalier tradition. As a multiple Salon des Artistes Français medalist with hors concours status, Becquerel represents a level of historical legitimacy and sculptural quality that elevates this piece well beyond a decorative accent into true collectible French bronze. See less