"Susse Frères Éditeurs Paris". - Maximilien Fiot (1886–1953} - Sculpture, De machtige Andes-Condor - 36.5 cm - Bronze - 1925

Very rare and impressive sculpture of the mighty Andean condor in flight. The condor is depicted with wings fully outstretched, its silhouette projected forward in a continuous horizontal line that accentuates the sensation of hovering flight. The scene is set around a stylized rock with angular volumes, whose simple construction emphasizes the tension of the body and the breadth of the wingspan.

The Andean condor (Vultur gryphus) is considered the largest bird of prey in the world, measured by a combination of weight (up to 15 kg) and wingspan (up to 3.2 meters). This endangered vulture lives in the Andes and is an impressive scavenger.

Sculptor Maximilien Fiot (1886–1953) was active especially in the interwar period (1918-1940). He was an exponent of the revival of French animal sculpture, contemporaneous with great artists such as François Pompon and Georges Guyot. His works, which were published by Susse Frères among others, show an evolution toward cleaner lines, entirely in line with the Art Deco aesthetics that characterized the 1920s and 1930s. Comparable models can be found in various public and museum collections devoted to modern animal sculpture. The state of preservation, the clarity of the details, and the overall balance of the composition give this piece a particularly powerful appearance and reveal the search for a form that is both naturalistic and graphic, typical of French bronze animal sculptures from the interwar period.

This rare sculpture is in excellent condition: finely chiselled and with a beautiful patina!