The Swiss-born Édouard Marcel Sandoz was celebrated for his animalier sculpture, which lent an art-deco aesthetic to the tradition established by the likes of Barye. First a student in chemistry, Sandoz turned to sculpture and studied for 3 years at the School of Industrial Arts in Geneva, then trained as a sculptor under Jean-Albert Injalbert and Marius-Jean-Antonin Mercié at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris. Sandoz sculpted from life, first concentrating on the human form and later animals. Animal sculpture was Sandoz's preferred theme which he explored through multiple mediums, including patinated bronze, earthenware and black marble. He depicted animals in a naturalistic way, focusing either on the decorative aspects or on the scientific representation, or both.
The Seated Fennec Fox is among the sculptor's most iconic models.
RELATED LITERATURE
F. Marcilhac, Édouard-Marcel Sandoz: sculpteur, figuriste et animalier, 1881-1971: Catalogue raisonné de l’œuvre sculpté, Paris, 1993, p. 364, no. 601
