Irénée Rochardartist • sculptorVillefranche-sur-Saône (Frankrijk) 1906-1984 Parijs

Born into an artistic family, Irénée Rochard soon moved to Paris to study at the École des Beaux Arts en Arts Décoratifs. As a sculptor he specialized in animal sculptures. Shortly after graduating, he won a first prize for a sculpture of a panther. Many awards and medals would follow. As a member of the Salon des Artistes Français, his work was regularly exhibited. Rochard surrounded himself with other 'animaliers' such as Édouard Sandoz. He made countless animals in ceramics, granite, marble, but especially in bronze, which he often studied in zoos. From horses, gazelles and panthers to bison, pelicans and dogs: he created them in a striking, stylized style that is in line with the Art Deco movement.