Pierre-Jules Mêne, French, 1810-1879

Although Mêne never visited Britain, his admiration for Sir Edwin Landseer's highland paintings and his interest in le style ecossais are manifested in this pair of Scottish-inspired bronzes. Mêne's enthusiasm for Landseer was no doubt encouraged by his close friend, the painter and sculptor Rosa Bonheur, although he must have known Landseer's work first-hand throught the latter's exhibits at the Paris Salon, and through engravings.

Mêne shows in these two bronze groups strong feeling for the drama of sport and portrays a convincing narrative between the huntsmen and the animals. Mêne also models his subjects with a particularity which gives the impression that he is representing a specific animal rather than a general type.

It was probably these affinities with Landseer's popular paintings which greatly attracted the British audience to Mêne and he exhibited at the Great Exhibition in 1851 and the International Exhibition in 1862. Following these successes, his works were reproduced by Copeland in parian ware and Coalbrookdale copied his models in bronze and cast iron for consumption by British patrons.

Ghillie with two Deerhounds and Scottish Huntsman showing a Fox to a Hound are amongst Mêne's most vivacious narrative groups and emphasise the close links, creatively and economically, between Mêne and Britain.

The latter of the two groups is taken from the larger hunting composition known as Chasse en Ecosse, La Prise du Renard, which includes a horse and additional hounds. A silver example of this work was exhibited under the title The Death of the Fox at the 1863 International Exhibition and was later shown at the 1867 Exposition Universelle.

Literature: J. Horswell, Bronze Sculpture of 'Les Animaliers', Reference and Price Guide, Woodbridge, 1971, p.169