Based on models by Pierre Jules Mène

Based on models by PIERRE JULES MÈNE (Paris, 1810–1879).
“Ibrahim.”
Bronze with a marble base.
Signed.
Measurements: 40 x 46 x 18 cm; 45 x 50 x 20 cm (total).
An animal sculpture inspired by the models of Pierre Jules Mène, one of the leading figures in 19th-century French animal sculpture. Mène presented the original model at the 1843 Paris Salon, where it was described as an Arabian stallion from Egypt. It was one of his first major equestrian compositions and emerged during the heyday of French animalistic sculpture. The model enjoyed considerable popularity and was produced in three different sizes. The smaller versions allowed animal sculpture—which until then had been largely associated with monumental commissions—to find its way into private interiors and bourgeois collections as well. After Mène’s death in 1879, the model continued to be reproduced; among those responsible for its continued production were his son-in-law, the sculptor Auguste Cain, and later the Barbedienne foundry.
Initially trained in his father’s artisanal workshop, which specialized in metalwork, he turned to sculpture and gained recognition for his models of horses, dogs, and animal scenes. He exhibited regularly at the Paris Salon beginning in 1838 and became a leading figure in French animal sculpture, alongside artists such as Antoine-Louis Barye and Pierre Louis Rouillard.
Mène worked primarily in bronze, creating models intended for artistic casting and commercial production in various sizes. His work helped establish the practice of collecting animal sculpture during the 19th century and is represented in public and museum collections. After his death in 1879, his models continued to be reproduced through subsequent castings.