PIERRE JULES MÊNE
French, 1810-1879
"Cheval Libre no. 1" (The Free Horse)
Sand-cast and patinated bronze | cast signature "P.J. MÊNE" | atelier Mêne-Cain, cast circa 1900
Item # 308KNM08Q
Cast
from an early mold with brilliant surface texture captured directly
from the wax and transferred to the bronze, the present example is an
atelier Mêne-Cain cast circa 1879-1908. It features a lively surface
that is finished in a very dark brown patina with reddish undertones,
the darker chemical patina being captured in the slashes and cuts of the
sculptor's stylus that remain captured throughout the flesh of the
stallion. It remains in an exquisite state of preservation throughout
with the original patina sealed under a glowing wax layer. The underside
shows the horse joined thorugh the base with large threaded rods
tightened with torch-cut nuts.
The model is listed in Mêne's
catalogue as no. 39 and it is an individual portrait of the stallion
separated out from his most celebrated L'Accolade with some
slight alterations to the horse's pose make the figure more appropriate
as a stand-alone work. The dramatic pose is highly Romantic and
reminiscent of the posturing and composition found in the brilliant
equestrian portrait paintings of Edwin Landseer, Mêne's contemporary.
For similar examples at auction, in addition to the model at Koller, see:
- Christie's, New York, 8 December 2005, lot 52 [achieved $ 7,800 USD]
- Christie's,
London, 8 December 2007, lot 104 [achieved 8750 GBP, the 2.03 exchange
rate at time of sale resulting in an approximate sale price of $ 17,700
USD]
- Koller Auction, Zurich, Switzerland, 5 December 2012, lot 1874, achieved 12,600 CHF (approx. $ 13,700 USD at the time of sale)
Artist Listings & Bibliography:
- Pierre Jules Mêne, Catalogue Raisonne, Poletti & Richarme, 2007, fig. CHE15, p. 73, ill. 65
- The Animaliers: The Animal Sculptors of the 19th and 20th Centuries, James Mackay, 1973, p. 73-78
- Les Animaliers, Jane Horswell, 1971, p. 164
- Bronzes of the 19th Century: A Dictionary of Sculptors, Pierre Kjellberg, p. 469-486, present cast illustrated p. 478
Measurements: 12 1/4" H x 15 1/4" W x 6 5/8" D
Condition
Report: Good original patina preserved under conservator's wax,
polished and a very fine presentation. A few points of relief, including
the ribs on the back, light wear around the edges of the base, rubbed
relief to raised elements.
About silla | antiques & art
Established in 2009, our 9000 square foot brick-and-mortar gallery is home to a carefully curated and catalogued inventory of furniture, decorative arts, paintings, sculpture and estate jewelry. Our company has long specialized in sculpture circa 1860 through 1930 and as such the gallery always has a very large collection of
exceptional European and American sculpture available on display.
The gallery is located at 117 W Burd Street in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania and is open by appointment only. We welcome your visit and would love to meet with you. For clients located outside of the area, we are always available to discuss items by video conferencing or by phone.
SHIPPING
We take shipping very seriously and maintain a fully equipped in-house packing facility to professionally package these important and delicate pieces. All packaging is handled by our staff and will generally consist of:
- Wrapping the item in several inches of heavy-duty bubble wrap with careful attention shown to pressure points, crafting the placement of the bubble wrap in a manner that allows delicate parts of the item to remain out of harm's way.
- The item is then placed into a tight-fitting carton with a void fill of either peanuts, Styrofoam, bubble wrap or a combination of the three to ensure it cannot move within the carton
- That carton is then double-boxed by placing it into an outer carton 2-3" larger on all sides with a dense void fill in the gap [note, paintings are generally not double-boxed but instead have a different packing methodology to properly protect the frame from pressure]
All shipments are guaranteed to arrive safely. We fully insure all shipments and in the event of damage we will handle all of the details around the claims process. You are only required to send along photos, to hold onto the damaged item and all packing materials until the claims process is resolved and we also reserve the right to require the damaged item to be shipped back to us at our expense (a prepaid label will be issued) to qualify for a refund.