Mid Century Concrete Model Village Breton Fisherman’s Quay Cottage

Mid Century Concrete Model Village Breton Fisherman’s Quay Cottage French (Normandy) circa 1970s - Concrete construction Handcrafted with fantastic detail and decoration Attributed to French sculptor/model maker Andre Hardy From his garden sale ‘Art Brut pour Jardin’ March 2011 Wonderfully executed in the round. Best viewed when raised up and visible from all aspects André Hardy:- At around the age of fifty, in 1971, ironworker André Hardy began to craft a diverse array of animal and human sculptures, showcasing them in his yard in the quaint Normandy village of Saint-Quentin-les-Chardonnets. Most were fashioned from reinforced concrete and painted, while others incorporated found objects, such as a bicycle adorned with shells. The sculptures varied in size, with many life-sized and visible from the road. The collection included local figures - a farmer ploughing with oxen, a couple in a cart, a woman with a lantern, a farmer milking a cow while smoking, a man with his wine bottle, a fisherman, and a woman with a parasol. A variety of animals were represented, from domestic species like horses, dogs, squirrels, deer, and pigs, to exotic creatures such as a giraffe, zebra, lion, whale, camel, ostrich, and elephant. Miniature replicas of landmarks like the Eiffel Tower were interspersed with garden furniture, windmills, and even a small airplane, helicopter, and jeep. Each piece was meticulously painted, with surface details crafted with ingenuity and skill. For nearly forty years, Hardy continued to produce art, shifting his focus in later years to the preservation and restoration of his existing works rather than creating new ones. Approaching the age of ninety, he and his wife sold their home and relocated to a senior living facility. By March 2011, photographs revealed the deterioration of the site; while some pieces remained intact and painted, others, including a large ostrich sculpture, had toppled over. Some works had vanished, and others were showing signs of decay. In early 2011, Hardy's creations were put up for sale on Grenier de Marco's website, a Norman company specializing in surplus goods. The pieces were marketed as "art brut for the garden," though no prices were listed, and the webpage has since been removed. Several works found a new home at the Lille Art Museum in France, and others were acquired by private collectors, providing the owner with some income and preventing the sculptures from being discarded. André Hardy passed away in March 2013, and regrettably, his Extraordinary Garden no longer exists. Acknowledgements: Jo Farb Hernández from an article in 2014