Rare French Art Deco Bronze Woman with Deer by Gaston Béguin

Gaston Béguin was born in Switzerland in 1892 and later worked in Paris, where he studied with the important sculptor Aristide Maillol. He exhibited at the Salon d’Automne in 1919 and 1920. His surviving work is not often seen, which makes this bronze a particularly rare example of his Art Deco period.

The quality of the sculpture can be seen in the delicate treatment of the hands, feet, facial features, and the quiet expression of the deer. The composition has a calm and lyrical presence, while the contrast between the dark bronze and brilliant gold finish gives the piece its exceptional visual impact. This is a beautiful and uncommon example of high style French Art Deco sculpture.

This large and impressive piece bears his signature and also the foundry stamp  "CAM CIRE PERDUE PARIS" and it was made to look like a wax seal on an official document

Cire perdue ( "lost wax") is a  sculptural process of metal casting that may be used for hollow and solid casting. The sculptor makes a model in plaster or clay that is then coated with wax. This model is then covered with a perforated plaster or clay mold. When heated, the mold will "lose" the wax (hence the name of the method) as it runs out of the holes in the plaster. Molten lead is then poured into the space formerly occupied by the wax. After the work cools, the sculptor breaks the mold, removes the plaster core, and files or polishes the metal product... The most important advantage of the lost-wax method is that it eases the casting of a sculpture with elaborate curves.