Bernard DUCA (1943 - 2021). "The struggle between men". Large sculpture in reconstituted stone. Signed on the base. 79 x 88 x 50 cm. Circa 1990 (Minor damages to the base, crack on the head, minor restorations to the plaster). Provenance: Artist's studio. The sculptor Bernard DUCA developed a technique for making body impressions from live models. The initial impression taken in plaster strips is drawn in plaster. Plaster is an easy-to-use material. DUCA appreciates its simplicity, the sensuality of its contact and the purity of its texture. A Frenchman of Italian origin, after studying decoration (Ecole des Beaux Arts de Toulouse and Centre UNIVERSITAIRE d'Art Dramatique de Strasbourg) from 1963 to 1966, he became a theatre decorator-accessoirist. He worked with the team of Raymond Rouleau and Lila Nobili on various sets for the Opéra, the Châtelet, the Sarah Bernhardt, the Odéon, the Comédie Française, the Mouffetard, the Epée de Bois, the Poche Montparnasse or Holliday on Ice, etc. Bernard DUCA initially focused on fantasy painting and took part in various Salons. Exhibitions in Dauphiné, Geneva, Germany, Paris, etc. The embossed bronze figures included in his canvases soon gave him a desire for relief, and he naturally turned to sculpture. This approach is similar to that of photography - a process that he also uses as a basis for his sculpture. He seeks to convey the emotion felt in the instant, through the intrinsic truth of the body. Bernard DUCA takes part in various Salons: Grands et Jeunes, Jeune Sculpture, F.I.A.C., Semaine Internationale du Cuir, Festival de l'Erotisme, Université Pierre et Marie Curie (Paris). In 1979, the town of Coulommiers commissioned "La Mère et l'Enfant", an outdoor sculpture in cast aluminium. (We would like to thank Madame Vogel for her information about the sculpture in Coulommiers).