Sculpture - Braque Dog Keeping A Rabbit By Pierre - Jules Mêne (1810-1879) - XIXth Bronze

Bronze sculpture representing a hunting dog , seated, Braque type , keeping a hare in front of its paws by Pierre-Jules Mêne .
The sculptor isolated the dog from the group " Chien gardant du game " from the Salon of 1850 to derive this simplified version with the rabbit , there are few proofs of it .
Shaded brown patina .
Signature of the sculptor " P.J.MÊNE " on the naturalistic oval bronze terrace .
Period XIX th century .
Very good state of preservation and patina .

In Mêne 's work, the dog is the animal loved and pampered, studied and represented more than all the others .
If hunting is the axis of his work , the dog is the constitutive element par excellence .
In animal sculptures , Mène is the artist who left us the most models of canines , all perfectly treated in a realistic way , and represented with an artistic truth and an anatomical rigor that will not weaken over the years .

Bibliographie : Richarme et Poletti , Pierre-Jules Mêne : Catalogue raisonné , Page 98 .

Pierre-Jules Mêne (1810 - 1879)

Pierre-Jules Mêne , is a French sculptor , born March 25 , 1810 in Paris , city where he died on May 20 1879 .

He is considered to be one of the main representatives of animal sculpture in the 19th century .
Pierre-Jules Mêne produced many animal sculptures , particularly in vogue under the Second Empire, like Antoine-Louis Barye , Auguste Caïn , Pierre Louis Rouillard and , later , François Pompon .

Mêne specialized in small bronzes, and did not produce work for public statuary .
His animal subjects have enjoyed great popular success .
Exclusive publisher of his works , the perfection of his productions is widely recognized .
He reveals himself , with Barye , as the one whose success has been the most constant , and this over the longest period .

Mêne appears to be one of the best wax practitioners of his time.