French Antique Bronze Sculpture of Aberdeen Angus Bull by Isidore Bonheur

Description

An exquisite and very rare casting of an Aberdeen-Angus bull, an unusual and distinctive breed of cattle from Scotland, this … more An exquisite and very rare casting of an Aberdeen-Angus bull, an unusual and distinctive breed of cattle from Scotland, this sculpture by Isidore Jules Bonheur is almost without a doubt cast by the foundry of his brother-in-law Hippolyte Peyrol and a rather early model as well in light of the distinctive construction method. In her text on the selection of 46 animal bronzes in the collection of the Georgia Museum of Art, Eleanor Luciano notes regarding this model that "Bonheur is never recorded to have been to Scotland, where he would have seen this unusual breed. Rosa Bonheur painted in Scotland, and its seems likely that Isidore would have drawn the idea for this bull either from one of her sketches or from an agricultural show in France. The animal's rich mane and strong modeling make this one of the most successful." Notable is the very fine surface patination which exhibits a glassy finish with a complex range of colors presenting in the body of the bull, overall being medium brown but augmented with an underlying reddish hue against auburn highlights. The base is signed "I. BONHEUR" in the typical manner.
Museum Collections:
* National Gallery of Art, Washington DC, acc. no. 2006.128.3
* Georgia Museum of Art, University of Georgia, acc. no. 1994.54
References:
* Animals in Bronze, Christopher Payne, 1986, p. 177
* Animals in Bronze, Eleanor Luciano, Georgia Museum of Art, University of Georgia, 1996, no. 12, p. 32-33
Measurements: 6 1/8" H x 3 3/4" D x 8 1/8" W less