Jules Moigniez

JULES MOIGNIEZ (France, 1835 - 1894).
"Heron".
Patinated bronze.
Signed.
Measurements: 54 x 34 x 18 cm.
Prolific French animal sculptor of the second half of the XIX century, Jules Moigniez was a disciple of Paul Comolera, from whose hand he began to make sketches of birds from life. Although he specialized in the representation of birds, he also depicted dogs, horses and some equestrian groups. He was presented to the public at the Universal Exhibition of 1855, at the age of twenty, and exhibited regularly at the Paris Salon between 1859 and 1892, showing a total of thirty works. He also exhibited in England, notably at the London International Exhibition of 1862, where his works were very well received by the public. Most of his works were cast by his father, a gilder by profession, with whom he created in 1857 his own foundry for the edition of his sculptures. His pieces show an extraordinary detail, and many of them are gilded, silvered or show patinas of great originality. Today, Moigniez's works are preserved in various private collections, as well as in the Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature in Paris.