Paul Beaugrand

PAUL BEAUGRAND (1874-1932).
"Soldier and Gentleman" and "Conversation in front of the Tavern".
Pair of terracotta panels in relief, polychrome.
Signed "Beaugrand" in the lower right corner.
Measurements: 20 x 24 x 4 cm.
Pair of terracotta soffits, worked in relief in several planes, including the frame, simulating four nailed wooden strips. Particularly noteworthy is the successful use of "schiacciato", a system of modelling in sculptural relief used by the Romans and perfected in the 15th century by Donatello, which consists of proportionally reducing the size of the relief according to the depth to be represented. This sculptural technique makes it possible to create a bas-relief with a minimal variation (sometimes referred to in millimetres) with respect to the background. To give the viewer the illusion of depth, the gradual decrease in the depth of the thickness is complemented by the rigorous application of the laws of perspective, which enhances the visual effect.
Thus, the figures are presented in high relief, with heads that are even rounded, against a background that gradually loses volume as we move away from the foreground, without losing detail thanks to the meticulousness of the work and the polychromy.