Pierre Jules Mêne

PIERRE JULES MÊNE (Paris, 1810 - 1879).
"Picador on horseback".
Patinated bronze.
Signed on the base.
Measurements: 93 x 61 x 27 cm.
Pierre Jules Mêne shows in this sculpture a Picador on the back of his horse, dressed in royal clothes and holding a lance with one of his hands and the rein with the other. This model of Jules Mêne was one of the two that he created based on Spanish themes, one of them "the toreador" was exhibited for the first time in Paris at the 1877 Salon, while the present model appeared for the first time in wax at the 1876 Salon and in bronze the following year. Technically, the laborious work of the horse stands out, captured with a precision, naturalism and expressiveness that denote not only mastery on the part of the sculptor, but also a careful study of the natural. This equestrian group compares with other important groups of horses and riders by Mêne, such as Valet de Chasse Louis XV and Groupe de Chiens en defaut.

Pierre-Jules Mêne is considered one of the leading representatives of 19th century animal sculpture. He was the father-in-law of the sculptor Auguste Cain (1821-1894), who was his collaborator. he first training of Pierre-Jules, then a young collector of engravings with a particular interest in the works of Horace Vernet, came from his father, then from the wood sculptor René Compaire. In 1838, he first appeared at the Paris Salon and created his own foundry, which he personally directed until 1877. He made numerous animal sculptures, especially popular during the Second Empire, such as those of Antoine-Louis Barye, Auguste Caïn, Pierre Louis Rouillard.