Object Description
By Edouard Marcel Sandoz (1881 – 1971) b. Basel, Switzerland
The snails with the Godard Foundry mark ‘E.GODARD CIRE PERDUE’ . The frog is unmarked
In 1937 Edouard Marcel Sandoz created L’Attaque’ a stylish and daring fountain for the Pavilion Nestlé (also known as the ‘Pavilion de tous les bébés du monde’) in collaboration with the architect Jean Tschumi for the 1937 Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques, Paris. It was later described in ‘Sensations d’Art’ , “L’Attaque assembles three large frogs in contemplation before three equally large snails, each issuing jets of water from their horns.”
It is known that Sandoz was commissioned to execute at least two variations on this composition: the first example with one large frog and four smaller snails, without foundry marks, was installed in the gardens of l’Hotel Beau-Rivage in Lausanne between 1938 and 1945 where it remains to this day.
A second example which is recorded in the catalogue raisonné of the artist by Marcilhac shows one large frog and five snails and is similar, but for the additional snail, to the present model.
There is evidence of a third commission (letters 26 November and 1 December 1968 in the records of the Fondation Edouard & Maurice Sandoz) which refers to the casting of four snails by Godard which are patinated dark green. The Foundation believe that these are almost certainly the present examples to which have been added one of the three frogs which were cast for the Paris Exposition of 1937.
Awards and Memberships
Commander of the Order of the Legion d’Honneur
Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters
Member of the Académie des Beaux-Arts of the Institut de France
Founder of the French Society of Wildlife 1933
Chair of the Taylor Foundation for 20 years