After Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse

After Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse (1824–1887)
"Hunter with a Ram"
Unglazed porcelain, biscuit
Signed
Height: 64 cm.

A full-relief figure in biscuit porcelain (unglazed), depicting an 18th-century hunter or poacher, richly attired in a wide-brimmed hat, a long cape tied at the shoulder, a jacket, and knee-length breeches with gaiters. The figure is depicted standing, with his right hand resting on his hip and holding a lamb in his left arm.

Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse (Anizy-le-Château, 1824 – Sèvres, 1887) was one of the most prolific and versatile French sculptors of his time, active in both the field of large-scale monumental sculpture and the decorative arts. Trained at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, he worked for numerous manufacturers and workshops specializing in bronze, goldsmithing, and ceramics, including Christofle, for which he designed models that enjoyed great commercial success. In 1875, he was appointed artistic director of the Sèvres National Porcelain Manufactory, a position he held until his death, spearheading the renewal of nineteenth-century designs inspired by eighteenth-century tastes, with a special focus on biscuit porcelain. His work, with clear Rococo and Baroque roots, ranges from busts and allegorical groups to genre figures such as hunters, fishermen, and folk characters, which were in high demand among the bourgeoisie of the time. He was also the teacher of Auguste Rodin, who worked in his studio as an assistant during his early years of training.