Student of the very academic Georges Jacquot (Nancy 1794 – Paris 1874, Prix de Rome in medal engraving) then of Antoine-Louis Barye of Pierre Louis Rouillard, two renowned animal masters, Alexandre Léonard gives us with this little Chamoix a beautiful example of his talent. Born in the home of Jean-François Léonard and Marie Alexandrine Mehaye, in the 6th arrondissement of Paris on March 18, 1821, Lambert Alexandre Léonard specialized, like his masters, in animal sculpture. Alexandre Léonard made his debut at the Salon of 1852, presenting a Heron, in wax, under the number 1451. A regular exhibitor at the Salon, he presented, in 1873, his last group, Water Hens, in wax, under the number 1759. The sculptures by Alexandre Léonard are remarkable for the finesse of their carving, the abundance of details, and the attitude of the animals, captured in full movement by the artist, such as our Chamois, frozen in full movement, alerted by a noise or a smell, and whose sharp gaze scans the surroundings to determine the potential danger.
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