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silla was born out of a passion for beautiful objects: special pieces with aesthetic and historical significance. In 2009, after years of collecting, Andrew Silla and his wife Grace began to work privately with clients from their residence in Southern Maryland. Quickly outgrowing the space, the business was moved from Maryland to Pennsylvania in 2012 and after several warehouse location changes it was firmly settled in the present brick-and-mortar location in downtown Shippensburg.

The 9000 square foot brick-and-mortar gallery is home to a large collection of works of art and estate jewelry. We specialize in sculpture circa 1860 through 1930 with a particular emphasis on the Animaliers and as such the gallery always has a very large collection of exceptional European and American sculpture available on display.

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"A Hitched Horse", bronze sculpture | Isidore Jules Bonheur

Bonheur, Isidore

SKU:
103PZO11X
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catalog text

"A HITCHED HORSE" CAST AFTER MODEL BY ISIDORE JULES BONHEUR (FRENCH, 1827-1901)
Bronze with black-and-brown with red patina; signed in base "I. Bonheur", foundry mark " * / * d'ESTRAY"
Item # 103PZO11X 

A fine lifetime cast of Isidore Bonheur's model of a thoroughbred stallion hitched to a post over a well-trod base, the sculpture is perhaps intended by Isidore as an opposing counterpart to his model of a mare with her foreleg caught up in the reigns hitching her to a post (see Animals in Bronze, Payne, 2002, p. 296, f. H59).

The present model was cast by the Parisian foundry d'Estray, a firm Isidore worked with for many of his models; the foundry mark reads "* / * d'ESTRAY" cold-stamped to the edge of the base above the various steps of the rim. The horse is affixed with posts through the base secured with square-cut nuts from the underside.

The surface is finished in a rather complex patina of overall black rubbed through to reveal dark browns and scattered red pigment highlights in the cross-hatched and overall filing recesses of the beautifully chased and finished surface.

Affixed with an original linked chain to a textured hitching post, the horse stands over a chaotically modeled naturalistic base of ovular form with crisp stepped edging.

It is a most pleasing presentation of this beautiful stallion, a crisp casting that is beautifully finished and remains in exquisite original condition.


Measurements: 21 3/8" W x 15 7/16" H x 5 3/4" D

Condition Report:
Very light rubbed wear to patina along horses hips and back visible under strong light; spots of pitting to shoulder of front left leg (the leg beside the post).