Pierre-Jules Mene (1810 - 1879) Jument Normande Seule (1868)...

Hammer

£10,000

Pierre-Jules Mene (1810 - 1879)
Jument Normande Seule (1868)
Bronze with golden brown patina and medium brown undertones
Cast by Auguste Cain on Mene's atelier c. 1868
Signed 'P. J. Mene'
Dated '1868'

Mene exhibited the version of this sculpture with a foal in 1868 in the salon. Mene's tender exploration of animals in a domestic context contrasts with the dramatic style of his contemporaries, Barye and Fremiet, and with the humorous approach of Fratin.

In the 1860s, Pierre-Jules Mêne relied on his son-in-law Auguste Cain to produce his bronze sculptures, and during that period, a preference emerged for a warmer brown patina. Consequently, the sculpture in question, which was sculpted shortly before Mêne's death, is a representative example from this time, displaying all the distinctive qualities associated with a meticulously crafted Cain cast. It is worth noting that earlier castings from Mêne's career tended to feature a darker brown, almost black patina.

Literature:
'Le Sculpteur Animalier Christophe Fratin', by J.J.A.Bougon. Le Raincy, 1983.
'Bronzes of the Nineteenth Century', by Pierre Kjellberg. Schieffer, NY 1994.
'Bronze sculpture of Les Animaliers', by Jane Horswell. Antique Collectors' Club, 1971
'The Animaliers', by James Mackay. Antique Collectors' Club, 1974.

Provenance:
English private collection

Collections:
Collection Fondation Ishana

Literature

• 'Pierre-Jules Mene, 1810-1879. Catalogue Raisonne' by Michel Poletti and Alain Richarme, 2007, page 87, cat. no, CHE 31.


• 'Bronze Sculpture of Les Animaliers' by Jane Horswell, 1971, pages 148 and page 147 (with foal).