Caesar's Hen

César Baldaccini (1921–1998) Bronze sculpture, mechanical assemblage. This bronze sculpture is a representative example of César's work in the field of assemblages, where the artist reinvents the animal figure from welded and transformed industrial fragments. The hen, here recomposed in a dense and expressive structure, testifies to the sculptor's mastery in the art of extracting a living presence from raw materials. The animal's body unfolds in an entanglement of metal pieces chosen for their formal energy, their capacity to create visual tensions, and to evoke, despite their mechanical origin, the organic and movement. The slender legs, the raised head, and the compact silhouette lend the whole a singular dynamism, where the figuration remains clear while engaging with the abstract forces inherent in the assemblage. The irregular surface, marked by the welding gestures, captures the light in a play of reflections that reinforces the vitality of the piece. This transformation of ordinary materials into sculptural symbols is central to César's aesthetic, which draws a raw and immediate poetry from bronze. This Hen fits perfectly within the lineage of the artist's zoomorphic creations, where the animal becomes the site of an exploration of matter, form, and energy, revealing the expressive power that runs through all of César's work.