FRENCH SCHOOL, ca. 1930

FRENCH SCHOOL, ca. 1930.
"The victor's salute".
Sculpture-trophy in patinated bronze.
Measurements: 29 x 26,5 x 11 cm.

The rise of cycling as a symbol of modernity, speed and progress finds in this sculpture-trophy an expressive image of victory. The young rider is captured in a gesture of celebration, leaning over his bicycle and raising his cap in salute, in a dynamic composition that transmits movement and competitive enthusiasm.
The piece is inscribed in the context of the European fascination with modern sports during the first decades of the 20th century, when disciplines such as cycling, motor racing and aviation became emblems of a new urban and technical sensibility. The bicycle, with its light structure, thin-spoke wheels and curved handlebars, is reminiscent of the competition models of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The whole stands on a molded rectangular base, decorated on the front with a laurel wreath, a traditional symbol of triumph. This detail, together with the celebratory attitude of the cyclist, allows us to interpret it as a commemorative sculpture or as a sports trophy, although no inscription has been preserved that would allow us to link it to a specific competition.

The careful treatment of the bronze stands out, visible in the modeling of the figure, the sports clothing, the complex structure of the bicycle and the richness of the patina, with brown and copper tones and natural oxidations. Because of its iconography, format and symbolic load, this is a particularly attractive piece within the collection of sports sculpture and objects linked to the visual culture of modern sport.