JOSUË DUPON (Ichtegem, Belgium, 1864 - Antwerp, Belgium, 1935). "L'effort", ca. 1925. Commemorative medal in gilded bronze. Signed: JOSUË DUPON. Measurements: 53,5 cm . Josuë Dupon was a Belgian sculptor and engraver of Flemish origin. He enjoyed great success thanks to his realistic sculptures of animals, as attested by the two bronze sculptural groups that today crown the entrance to the Zoological Garden of Antwerp. His reputation was such that he became part of the small group of sculptors authorized by Leopold II to work the ivory coming from the Congo, a Belgian colony. Although at the beginning of his career he was more influenced by the academicist ideals of the 19th century, with the arrival of the new century his compositions changed, becoming increasingly modern. It is possible that part of the blame for this change was Rembrandt Bugatti, whom he met in Paris and invited to his home in Antwerp to visit the zoo of the Belgian capital and to study the species found there, since, not in vain, it was considered the best zoo in the world. In addition to animals, busts and public monuments, he also made a multitude of commemorative medals, in fact, he won a bronze medal at the 1936 Olympic Games in the category of "Sculpture" posthumously.