"Chien Limier" (1869) | Pierre-Jules Mene

PIERRE-JULES MÊNE
French, 1810-1879

"Chien Limier" (1869)

Patinated bronze | signed in cast "P.J. MÊNE" | almost certainly cast in Mêne's personal atelier circa 1875

Item # 309MWP02A  This model of a hound dog is separated off from Mêne's complex grouping of Valet de Chasse (Louis XV) et sa Harde (also titled Valet de chiens à cheval menant sa harde) that was exhibited at the Salon of 1869 (no. 3591). The hound is only subtly repostured to give him a more relaxed sense of alertness instead of the slightly tugging profile of the hound in the larger group. The model is one of a few bearing the brand of his pack, this model with the dog deeply branded to the reverse with the cross within an open triangle of the Prince of Condé.

The present example is crisp with an inordinately silky surface, the wonderful depth of texture captured throughout directly from the mold, a testament to the early edition. Note the exquisite streaks of lines representing faint hairs running across the hound's skin while crossing undercurrents of texture ripple below this to create a sense of shifting muscle and undulating of the skin. The cast is signed on the terrace with the raised edges around the signature captured directly from the mold without cold-tooling. The hound is affixed to the base with overly deep hand-cut square nuts tightened on turned steel threaded posts through the naturalistic base. Artist Listings & Bibliography: Pierre-Jules Mêne, Catalogue raisonné, Poletti & Richarme, 2007, p. 119, fig CHI40, ill. 125
Measurements: 12 5/8" W x 9 3/8" H x 5 1/4" D Condition Report:
Very fine original patina preserved under a proper wax layer; polished and a brilliant glowing presentation; faint rubbing and wear to patina: the top of his front facing hip, the edges of the base, raised edges of the signature, other raised elements.