Jan & Joel Martel Art Deco Bronze Flat Tail Pigeon

Rare and beautiful original bronze by Jan and Joel Martel. Image of a stylized cubist pigeon on a thin marble base (flat tail pigeon). One of their famous animal pieces is shown in the most important book on Martel’s work. These amazing Art Deco artists had an unusual and interesting working relationship as brothers (read bio below). They could synthesize cubist, realism, and classic interpretations as sculptors, painters, and fabricators. Signed by J. Martel in bronze, this is an excellent and rare piece in original condition.

We have one in stone:

Wikipedia listing as follows:

Jan and Joël Martel (5 April 1896 – 16 March 1966) were French sculptors. The twins were born in Nantes and were among the founding members of

Union des Artistes Modernes (UAM). Their works include ornamental sculptures, statues, monuments, and fountains that display characteristics typical of the Art Deco and Cubist periods.

Sharing the same workshop, their jointly created works were co-signed simply by Martel. The brothers took part in several Paris exhibitions, including the Salon des Indépendants, Salon d’Automne, Salon des Tuileries, and the Exposition des Arts Décoratifs in 1925, where their concrete trees featured in a collaboration with architect Robert Mallet-Stevens. In 1932, they created the Claude Debussymonument which sits on the boulevard Lannes in Paris. Between 1924 and 1926, Robert Mallet-Stevens designed a studio for the twins at 10 Rue Mallet-Stevens in Paris’ 16th arrondissement. The brothers died in 1966, about six months apart from each other, one as the result of a long illness and the other in an accident.

On 8 April 1945, before the war had ended, Antony became the first town to pay homage to its liberator by giving the name of Division-Leclerc to one of its streets. The Martel Brothers were selected to create a memorial in honour of Leclerc. The statue, at the time figurative and stylized, represents the hero marching away from the screen of the piece, which maps the military route from 1941 until entry into Paris.