Patinated Art Nouveau-Styled Bronze Sculpture Of A Tern In-Flight by Irénée Rochard, French, Circa 1940.

Further readings and sources:

1. Irénée Rochard was a French decorative sculptor best known for his Art Nouveau-styled depictions of animals. Most often working in bronze, he also created several figurines in marble, ceramic, or wood.
   Rochard was fascinated by animals, and wished to dedicate his work to their study, creating highly lifelike sculptures born of his carefully observations of many creatures. Born in 1906 in Villefranche sur Saône, France to a family of artists, he went on to study at the École nationale supérieure des beaux-arts in Paris where he met fellow sculptors of animals François Pompon and Edouard Marcel Sandoz.

   In 1938, he became a member of the Society of French Artists, winning a gold medal at the Colonial Exhibition in 1931. A number of his works were purchased by the Paris City Council and the city of New York. Rochard died in 1984 in Paris, France. source: artnet ↩

2. Terns: Common Terns, Caspian Terns, Forster’s, and Black Terns represent the sub-family of terns, who are unmistakable in flight. They can be recognized by their angular wings and tails that all end in sharp points along with their tucked in ‘chin’  looking straight down into the water as they patrol for fish. Their aerial acrobatics are most enjoyable, especially when they hover over the water then dramatically dive in at high speeds to catch their aquatic prey. ↩