Isidore-Jules Bonheur French, 1827-1901

There is general wear to the patina consistent with age, otherwise the condition is very good.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

This is a truly exceptional bronze in the oeuvre of Bonheur, exceptional for its size and quality, exceptional also for its rarity and association with the only other known example of this scale currently documented. The latter was reputedly acquired at the International Exhibition in St. Louis in 1904, and subsequently donated to the Luncheon Club of the New York Stock Exchange on Wall Street (see illustration) where since 1924 it was prominently displayed outside the main entrance hall of the Club Rooms at 11 Wall Street until recently. Set up on an impressive marble base, the Luncheon Club cast had evident wear to the patination, especially on the horn of the bull, where successive generations of brokers must have touched the bronze for good luck.

Bonheur's original intentions in creating his Taureau et un ours are not recorded but it is feasible that the meaning was a financial allegory as the iconography of the bull and bear dates to the 18th century. The first use of the words 'Bull' and 'Bear' as types of investors appeared in Thomas Mortimer's Every Man his own Broker, published in London in 1775.  According to Mortimer, a bull purchased stocks with no upfront money and hoped to sell before payment was due (buying on margin). A bear rejoiced 'in any misfortune that may bring about the wished-for change of falling the stocks, that he may buy in low, and so settle his accounts to advantage'. Who is the victor? The bull or the bear?  The battle is an even match; Bonheur's aggressive bull hopes to gore his opponent with his sharp horns, while the bear clings to the bull's neck with his even sharper claws. History has shown that each can prevail: the bear in 1929, when he came out of hibernation with devastating results, and the bull as recently as the late 1990s.

An alternative meaning of Un taureau et un ours is the more contemporary iconography of the bull and the bear representing England and Russia in the context of the Crimean War.  A famous example of this is Charles Dickens' short story Prince Bull published in 1855, which describes the conflict between Prince Bull and Prince Bear and the chaos caused by Prince Bull's evil godmother Tape (red tape).  The Crimean War ended in 1856 with the Treaty of Paris, the year before Bonheur first exhibited this model.

In 1857 Bonheur exhibited his Un taureau et un ours in bronze at the annual Paris Salon (no.2744). Alongside it he exhibited another combat group of Vache defendant son veau contre un loup in plaster, which was subsequently acquired by the Museum in Bordeaux. Bonheur had made his debut at the Salon nine years before and his 1857 exhibits are amongst his most important early compositions.  The Salon records do not reveal the size of that Taureau et un ours but as it was in bronze rather than plaster it is likely that it was a large scale cast similar to the present example. The model was certainly important for Bonheur since he re-exhibited it at the Exposition Universelle in 1900 (probably the cast formerly in the Luncheon Club).

Isidore-Jules Bonheur is often unjustly overlooked in preference to his sister, Rosa.  Certainly Rosa Bonheur had a strong personality and unconventional lifestyle which encouraged greater attention and her choice to become a painter, rather than a sculptor, broadened her appeal and success.  However, Isidore deserves a wider appreciation as creator of some of the most iconic, and some of the most charmingly modest, images in the animalier genre.  Who could conceive of a collection of animalier bronzes without an example of Isidore's Grand Jockey and to whom would the endearing silver model of two pigs (see lot 82) not appeal?  Bonheur rarely made models of exotic wild animals preferring to concentrate on more domestic and sporting scenes. Bonheur knew his market and perfectly reflected the concerns of his patrons for both racing and hunting.