Edouard Marcel Sandoz
Born in 1881.
Died in 1971.
A sculptor, ceramicist, painter and draughtsman, he devoted a large part of his oeuvre to the representation of animals. After attending the École des arts industriels de Genève, he moved to Paris in 1904, where he studied, among others, under Jean-Antoine Injalbert and Antonin Mercié, and established his studio. Throughout his career, he maintained close ties with Lausanne.
In his sculptures, precise observation of living forms goes hand in hand with a strong simplification of volumes. Sandoz captured the characteristic silhouette and attitude of a dog, bird or fish, then brought them together in a legible form, often with smooth surfaces. The «Chien danois» of 1911, carved in grey marble and held by the Musée cantonal des Beaux-Arts de Lausanne, thus possesses the tranquil presence of an animal at rest and the power of a monumental figure.
Presented at the Paris Salon in 1911, it was acquired by the Swiss Confederation the following year. Bronze, stone and ceramics enabled the artist to vary the scale, colour and purpose of his creations, from decorative objects to public sculpture.
Sandoz also drew and painted flowers and landscapes. His interest in techniques and in understanding his models gives unity to this body of practices. In 1933, he helped found the Société française des animaliers; his commitment to fellow artists therefore extended beyond the studio.
Through a bestiary that is at once familiar and stylised, he contributed to the renewal of animal sculpture in the twentieth century. The Fondation Édouard et Maurice Sandoz, established in 1982, preserves and promotes his work.
