Henri BOUCHARD - Lot 61

Henri BOUCHARD NORMANDIE: NORMAN ART Design for the left section of one of the four bas-reliefs created by Bouchard in 1934 for the lounge gallery of the ocean liner Normandie Bas-relief in plaster and wood, signed lower left 109 x 109 (scratches and wear) Commissioned in June 1934 by the Compagnie Générale Transatlantique for four marble bas-reliefs for the Gallery-Salon, located between the Grand Salon and the theater, on the ocean liner Normandie. Cruchot stone, with its slight tint, was chosen by Henri Bouchard in consultation with the architect Expert. The stone bas-reliefs were installed in March 1935 in Saint-Nazaire; in September 1939, the Normandie, in New York Harbor, was decommissioned. In May 1941, the ship was occupied by the U.S. Coast Guard; in January 1942, it was designated for troop transport; in February 1942, a fire broke out on board, and the ship capsized after being flooded by firefighters. It was scrapped in 1946. The bas-reliefs have never been found. Henri Bouchard had the good sense to create smaller versions of two of them: *L’ART NORMAND* and *ELEVAGE NORMAND*. We would like to thank La Piscine – André Diligent Museum of Art and Industry for the information provided about this work. 2,000–3,000€