Eugène Antoine Borga (1872-1926) Eagle Terracotta Sculpture

Eugène Antoine Borga (1872-1926) Eagle Terracotta signed and numbered 2/50 H: 16 cm W: 22 cm (max) Antoine-Eugène BORGA (1885 Paris XVIe - 1964 Cannes). A student of Prosper Lecourtier and Clovis Masson, Borga exhibited for the first time at the Salon des Artistes français in 1912. From the following year (1913) when he showed an animal work, he would exhibit almost only works of this genre. During the Great War, he attracted attention by exhibiting at the Salon d'Automne in 1919 six terracottas representing scenes from the daily life of soldiers as well as a terracotta Panther. Back in civilian life, he continued a discreet career by regularly showing works made of terracotta, plaster and especially exotic wood in various Salons. Rarely in bronze, which suggests that he did not produce or produced little for publishing and did not have enough means to have his works made in this material. He won an honorable mention at the 1921 Salon where he exhibited a plaster bas-relief entitled Vendanges (no. 3333), but it was in 1927 that his career really took off when he received an encouragement of 500 francs from the Ministry of Public Education and Fine Arts, as well as the Prix de la Compagnie de la Navigation Mixte awarded by the Société Coloniale des Artistes Français which allowed him to stay in Tunisia for several months. He also collaborated with decorators for whom he produced sculpted panels such as the front of a buffet sent for Joubert in 1922 exhibited at the 13th Salon des Artistes Décorateurs (no. 136) and for Gaston Perrin in 1933 for whom he sculpted a chest of drawers in Rio rosewood exhibited at the 23rd Salon. In 1929, he was back in Paris where he continued to exhibit in various sculpture salons and chose to represent exotic animals, in the style of the time: Asian Panther (1930), Tigers (1931), Bison (1934), Rhinoceros (terracotta, 1937)... In 1934, he produced two works, Lioness and her cubs and Bison, which he published in 20 copies. These are his only known editions. His production otherwise consisted of original works in precious wood (rosewood, mahogany) or in bronze to order. His career was crowned by a gold medal at the Universal Exhibition in Paris in 1937. He continued to exhibit until 1945, then gradually fell into oblivion like most of his colleagues who were too influenced by the Art Deco style which was no longer in vogue after the Second World War. He exhibited at the Bernheim Jeune Gallery