French Antique Bronze Sculpture of Pointer Dog by Pierre-Jules Mêne Circa 1880

Description

PIERRE-JULES MÊNE
French, 1810-1879

"Chien braque à la feuille"

Medium-brown patinated sand-cast bronze | raised edge signature cast into base … more PIERRE-JULES MÊNE
French, 1810-1879

"Chien braque à la feuille"

Medium-brown patinated sand-cast bronze | raised edge signature cast into base "P.J. MÊNE" | probably cast circa 1880

Item # 202GTZ12P

A very good quality sand-cast model of Mêne's Pointer Dog, it features a richly textured surface finished in an overall medium-brown nuanced autumnal patina. A rather early posthumous cast probably executed under Auguste Cain's oversight circa 1880. It features exquisite detail captured from the mold in all elements: the toenails, the hair as it flows over each individual toe, modeling of the leaves with full veins captured brilliantly, the texture of the Pointer's face rich and fully alert along with a crisp signature with raised edges with no evidence of cold-tooling. The underside is tidy with cold-stamped "2" in five places - note the very thin cast edge.

Literary References:

Animals in Bronze, Christopher Payne, 2002, p. 219 [a poorly cast example of the present model depicted]
The Bronze Sculptures of Les Animaliers, Jane Horswell, 1971, p. 129 [present model depicted]
Bronzes of the Nineteenth Century: A Dictionary of Sculptors, Pierre Kjellberg, Schiffer, 1994, p. 483 [present model depicted]

Measurements: 9" W x 4" D x 4 1/2" H

Condition Report:
Very good original condition, no observed flaws; light wear to patina from handling; minor discolorations around the rubbed edges of the base. less