Pierre-Jules Mêne
Pierre-Jules Mène | |
---|---|
Born | |
Died | 21 May 1879 | (aged 69)
Nationality | French |
Known for | Sculpture |
Notable work | L'Accolade; Cerf à la branche; Ibrahim, cheval arabe |
Movement | Animalier |
Pierre-Jules Mêne (25 March 1810 – 20 May 1879) was a French sculptor and animalier. He is considered one of the pioneers of animal sculpture in the nineteenth century.
Early life
Mêne was born on 25 March 1810 in Paris, France. As a teenager he worked for his father, a metal turner. By 1837 he was casting his bronze sculptures in his own foundry.[1][2]
Career
Mêne produced a number of animal sculptures, mainly of domestic animals including horses,
His work was first shown in London by
Copies, forgeries and reproductions
Because Mêne was so prolific and because so many editions of his works were made, his work is sometimes undervalued in the current market, and
After Mène's death in 1879, the
Death and legacy
Mêne died on 20 May 1879 in Paris, France. He is remembered as one of the finest, and certainly the most prolific, animalier sculptors of all time.
Notes
There are no known photographs or portraits of Mêne.
Gallery
-
Miniature bronze of horses by Mêne, c. 1850
-
P. J. Mêne signature
-
Underside of an antique bronze by Mêne, c. 1850. Note the hand-cut bronze square nuts that were used during the mid-to-late 19th century.
Bibliography
- Catalogue raisonné of Pierre-Jules Mêne by Michel Poletti and Alain Richarme (Paris, 1998). Catalogues 240 models with a history of editions from 1838 to 1933; biography; context of life and work in Second Empire Paris (in French).
References
- ^ Mackay, James, The Animaliers, E. P. Dutton & Co., Inc, 1973
- ^ ISBN 0-88740-629-7.
- ISBN 0-907462-45-6.
- ISBN 0-907462-45-6.
External links
- Bronze sculpture by Pierre Jules Mene
- Pierre-Jules Mêne in American public collections, on the French Sculpture Census website