Sculpture - The Flight Of The Duck , Irénée Félix René Rochard (1906-1984)

Bronze print , with brown patina , depicting a duck taking flight , by Irénée Rochard  (1906-1984) .
The duck is represented in a very realistic way . 
Its neck is short , its beak is broad and flattened , its legs are short and webbed , its outstretched wings are long and pointed .
Old edition sculpture , signed "I.ROCHARD", hollow, on the naturalist terrace , richly chiseled .
20th century period , circa 1930 , Art-Deco .
Perfect state of conservation and patina .

Height : 19.5 cm

Irénée Félix René Rochard (1906-1984)

Irénée Rochard is a French animal sculptor , born in January 1906 in Villefranche-sur-Saône in Auvergne-Rhône - Alpes .

Coming from a family of artists , he turned to this path very early .
From 1924 to 1928 , Irénée Rochard studied at the Schools of Fine Arts and Decorative Arts .
In 1938 , Irénée Rochard joined the Society of French Artists and obtained several prizes and distinctions for his sculptures .

During the inter-war period , the young artist met François Pompom , Édouard Sandoz and other artists from the world of animal sculpture .
Irénée Rochard then realizes that working on this theme appeals to him and decides to embark on this practice .
If Irénée Rochard appreciates the sculpture of animals so much , it is because it allows him to “ pay homage ” to them . 
Its objective is to show their personality and bring out the most important aspects of their personality , their softness or their fierceness .
The realism of his sculptures is also the result of very great observation skills for the time .
Its rigor and the harmony of its production place it in an Art Deco style .

At the time , the sculptor worked mainly from bronze , but also created figurines in ceramic , wood, granite or even marble .
His work has always stood out from that of others thanks to its modern style and the elegance and grace of its forms . 
This aesthetic was inspired by the work of François Pompon and Édouard-Marcel Sandoz . 
Irénée Rochard will also dedicate part of his career to a collaboration with the Italian sculptor Ugo Ciprani . 

From the end of his studies , his work was appreciated by the public and the critics .
The dozens of awards he received during his career , including the Taylor Prize and the Institut des Beaux-Arts Prize , demonstrate the interest shown in his work .
The sculptor died in January 1984 in Paris .