Pierre-Jules Mêne - The Sheep and Her Lamb - bronze sculpture with provenance, 19th c

“Pierre-Jules Mêne (1810-1879 )Bronze, La Brebis et son Agneau, with important provenance“.
Pierre-Jules Mêne (1810-1879).
The Ewe and her Lamb.
Bronze with brown patina, signed and dedicated.
Circa 1855-1865, period cast.
Height : 14.5 cm - Base 23.6 x 10.5 cm.

Description:
Charming pastoral bronze scene by renowned French animal sculptor Pierre-Jules Mêne, depicting a standing ewe tenderly watching over her suckling lamb. The work expresses all the artist's naturalistic sensibility, in a style imbued with romantic realism.
The finely modeled ewe stands calmly as her lamb leans beneath her to suckle. Every detail - the coat, hooves, muzzle, collar and even the textured ground - testifies to the high quality of the work, emblematic of Mêne's production in the 1850s-60s.

Signature &Dedication:
Signed on the base: P.J. MêNE.
Hand-dedicated in bronze:
“To his friend Bzvj, P.J. Mêne“.
- an extremely rare personal dedication, suggesting that this was a presentation or special-commission piece intended for a close friend or collector of the artist's.

Casting &Origin:
No foundry mark, typical of castings made in Mêne's personal workshop (before 1870).
The finesse of the chasing, the quality of the patina and the handwritten dedication confirm the likelihood of an original cast during his lifetime, as opposed to posthumous reproductions by foundries such as Susse Frères or Barbedienne.

About the artist:
Pierre-Jules Mêne is considered one of the greatest animal sculptors of the 19th century. Winner of several awards at the Paris Salons from 1838 onwards, he specialized in naturalistic depictions of domestic animals and rural scenes. His works were widely distributed in France and abroad, notably in England.
The model presented here is included in the catalog raisonné by Poletti &Richarme (2007).

Condition:
Excellent.