Armand Petersen | French, Swiss 1891-1969

Armand Petersen was born in Basel in 1891. Of Swiss origin, he attended the School of Industrial Art in Geneva. After his graduation, he worked in Switzerland and subsequently Budapest, before finally moving to Paris.

Petersen initially pursued a career as an engraver; however, his work soon gravitated towards sculpture. The observation of animals formed the mainstay of his sculptural work. A keen observer, he studied his subjects in-depth, trying to uncover the most distinct behaviour traits of each animal. In the 1920s he became known for his skill in simplifying shape and form, a movement synonymous with the art deco style.  His bronzes express the force and grace of animals with sensitivity and a very synthetic and realistic execution. The composition of his sculpture combines the latent dynamism of modernist form and the carefully observed naturalism of the Animalier tradition reminiscent of the striking models produced by Francois Pompon during this period.

Petersen participated in numerous exhibitions – the Salon d’Automne, the Tuileries, the Galerie Logan Brandt in Basel, Switzerland in Brussels and further shows in Berlin, Budapest, New York, and Denmark.