Poésie de l'instant

Poésie de l’instant – A Silent Parenthesis in Terracotta and Oak

With Poésie de l’instant, Bérénice Fourmy presents a sculpture of rare subtlety, where the softness of patinated terracotta meets the powerful, textured presence of oak. Available for online purchase, this artwork distills—through a simple, perfectly mastered gesture—the artist’s unique ability to capture the fleeting, the intimate, the precise moment when the gaze drifts from the world to turn inward.

The character, seated atop a darkened oak round, appears wholly absorbed in reading. The distinctive expressiveness of Bérénice Fourmy reveals itself in the posture: dangling legs, a slight forward lean, a face caught in a moment of wonder as if suspended on the thread of the text. The patinated terracotta, with its matte surface and soft way of holding light, gives the figure a presence both fragile and magnetic. It evokes childhood, contemplation, and that intense yet quiet focus found only in moments of true immersion.

The oak base is a vital component of the piece. Massive and deeply marked by its veins and fissures, it carries within it the story of time and the living material. Its raw, tactile surface contrasts powerfully with the delicacy of the figure, creating a visual dialogue rich in nuance. Fourmy explores duality here: the robustness of oak against the tenderness of terracotta, the fixed solidity of the material against the inner life of the character. This meeting of the organic and the sculptural endows the work with poetic depth and emotional resonance.

As one contemplates the sculpture, the eye is drawn to its subtle balance between verticality and lightness. The solid oak block grounds the piece in matter, while the small figure perched above lifts it into a more intimate, almost spiritual dimension. This elevation is not grand or dramatic, but humble—true to Fourmy’s artistic language: an art that expresses much through very little, that reveals humanity through small gestures.

Poésie de l’instant is an ideal choice for online art collectors seeking a unique, meaningful contemporary sculpture. It will naturally enhance a minimal interior, a reading nook, a contemplative space, or any area devoted to art. Its presence—both strong and soothing—offers a true visual anchor.

By blending patinated terracotta and oak with such sensitivity, Bérénice Fourmy reminds us that art does not need spectacle to move. Here, she shapes a quiet, almost meditative scene that celebrates the beauty of small things—this discreet poetry we too often forget to notice.