304 - According to Pierre-Jules MÊNE

According to Pierre-Jules MÊNE Duck Hunt Bronze group with brown patina Modern cast On the terrace: P. J. MÊNE Height: 18.5 cm + base; Length: 39 cm + base. (Minor imperfections in the patina) Expert: Cabinet MAKET DESCRIPTION Pierre-Jules Mêne, born in Paris in 1810, learned metalworking from his father, a metal turner, before receiving guidance from the sculptor René Compaire. He frequently visited the Jardin des Plantes to sketch animals. As early as 1838, the year of his first participation in the Salon, he established his own foundry, which he managed personally until 1877 and which became a gathering place for artists and writers. His mastery of casting earned him recognition as one of the finest practitioners of his time. Awarded medals at the Salon in 1852 and 1861, he was made a Knight of the Legion of Honor; his bronzes were exhibited in London as early as 1849 by the art dealer Ernest Gambart. Along with Antoine-Louis Barye, Rosa Bonheur, Pierre Louis Rouillard, and his son-in-law and collaborator Auguste Cain, Mêne belonged to the 19th-century French animal school, embodying the style of small indoor bronzes that were highly prized during the Second Empire: horses, hunting dogs, deer, cattle, sheep, and goats. After his death in 1879, the Susse company acquired the rights to produce his models. His works are held in numerous museums, including the National Gallery of Art in Washington.