Auguste Nicolas Cain 1821-1891 Hunting Trophy, Partridges, Bronze Model

A.Nicolas Cain 1821-1891 Bronze master model of a hunting trophy, representing two partridges, sand casting around 1860, key visible on a leg of a partridge, brown patina, Cain edition Master model When the model is fragile (for example in plaster), it risks being damaged during handling and settling of the sand casting. The manufacturers of art bronzes have solved this problem by casting, from the initial model, a single metal proof called master model, which then serves as a reusable and very resistant matrix. The master model can be dismantled into as many parts as necessary, when the part or parts are too difficult to cast the bronzes have keys which allow the parts to be dismantled to cast them separately, Auguste Nicolas Cain, born November 10, 1821 in Paris, the city where he died on August 6, 1891 French animal sculptor, student of Francois Rude. Then from Antoine-Louis Barye to the Natural History Museum He began his first models, mainly representing animals, by drawing at the Jardin des Plantes in Paris. In the 1840s, he proposed goldsmith models for the Maison Christophle Auguste Cain joined forces with the sculptor Pierre-Jules Mène, whose daughter he married in 1852. During the 1840s and 1850s, in addition to sculpting small animal figures, Cain also created decorative objects with animal motifs, such as matchboxes, goblets and candlesticks. Auguste Cain himself cast his works and those of his father-in-law. His subjects often represented animals in their natural context, both for his statuettes and for the larger sculptures. From the 1960s, recognized as an animal sculptor, Auguste Cain began to receive official commissions. Among them, monumental sculptures still in place in the great Parisian gardens. His works are realistic with great attention to detail. After his death, the foundry was closed and the molds sold to Ferdinand Barbedienne who continued to make prints into the 20th century.