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Theodorus
Product description
This is a stylized hare by André Vincent Becquerel, which he designed for Etling Paris in 1928 and intended as a carhood mascot. A car mascot or "bouchon de radiateur" was actually nothing more than the cap of a radiator. It was precisely at that time that it was fashionable to make it a personal mascot. Many sculptors were asked to design one or more, sometimes a large work was cast in miniature, René Lalique made beautiful specimens in glass, which were later banned again because it proved too dangerous in accidents, but there were a lot of beautiful works of art driving around on cars in the 1920s and 1930s. Later, the individual car mascot disappeared and car brands incorporated their own emblems into updated modern cars. Becquerel created several animals as car mascots in this style, including a cat, a duck and a dachshund. They were inspired by Lewis Carol's book "Alice in Wonderland." They are now highly sought after. This hare with its exaggeratedly long ears and bulging eyes has something humorous and is very lively. The hare was probably cast in bronze and has been chromed or silvered. It could very well be that this hare stood on the front of a car as a bouchon de radiator. It is not signed, as is usually the case with these hares. It was later mounted on a round wooden base, as shown in the photos. The ears are slightly closer together than we have seen on other hares by Becquerel, no idea if that is on purpose or not, in any case it makes him special. Characteristic are the somewhat bulging eyes. He has some black spots on the surface, fairly superficial, kind of pits sometimes, ( impact? )see photos, we are not going to tinker with that. No signature. It is screwed on a wooden stand, black With wooden base 22 cm, without 18 cm high. Beautiful art deco design. Has been my father's, he once got it from a fellow foreign doctor. André Vincent Becquerel (Saint-André-Farivilliers 1893-Paris 1981) was a student of Hector Lemaire and the animalist Prosper Lecourtier. Becquerel often worked at the Jardin des Plantes studying and drawing the animals there. He soon specialized in making animal sculptures, predators and cats being especially favored subjects for him. Between 1914 and 1922, Becquerel regularly participated in the Salon des Artistes Française. He worked in a naturalistic style that became increasingly stylized under the influence of new art movements such as Art Deco and Modernism. He also created a number of works of ceramics for Marcel Guillard, published by Etling Paris. His bronzes were usually cast by Susse Frères or Etling Paris. He also had a studio where he could cast his own bronzes. In addition to his bronzes, some chryséléphantines by him are known, on which children and the elderly are the subject. Becquerel also participated in a number of World Exhibitions, including that of 1937. He was active until 1950.
The hare has some black spots on the surface, fairly superficial, kind of pits sometimes, ( impact? ). See photos.
The hare has some black spots on the surface, fairly superficial, kind of pits sometimes, ( impact? ). See photos.
Specifications
ConditionVery goodColorsSilver, BlackMaterialBronze, Chrome, SilverNumber of items1OrientationPortraitArt sizeSmallHeight22 cmWidth8 cm