catalog text
"BERGER ALLEMAND COUCHÉ" AFTER MODEL BY PIERRE-ALBERT LAPLANCHE (FRENCH, 1826-1873)
Patinated bronze, signed in cast "Laplanche" w/ foundry cachet of VRAI BRONZE B.D. PARIS
Item # 009HPQ06L
A silky smooth and beautifully textured model of a German Shepherd sculpted by Pierre-Albert Laplanche and executed by the VRAI B.D. foundry in Paris. The proud dog is alert on something in the distance, his body relaxed and rested while remaining ready for action. In a translucent brown overall patination with rubbed bronze highlights, it is a fine presentation. The signature is cast into the base from the original mold.
Born in Lyons in 1826, Pierre-Albert Laplanche studied under Pierre-Louis Rouillard. He exhibited at the Paris Salon in 1857 with a terra cotta model Groupe d'oiseaux morts. In 1864 he presented Etude de lama in bronze and Cerf de France in 1869. The museum in Reims holds five examples of his work.
Artist Listings & Bibliography:
- E. Benezit Dictionary of Artists, VIII, Gründ, 2006, p. 454
- The Dictionary of Western Sculptors in Bronze, James Mackay, 1977, p. 222
- Dictionnaire des Sculpteurs de L'École Française, vol III, Stanislas Lami, 1970, p. 248
- Bronzes of the Nineteenth Century: A Dictionary of Sculptors, Pierre Kjellberg, 1994, p. 406
- Animals in Bronze, Christopher Payne, 2002, p. 410
- Bronzes: Sculptors & Founders 1800-1930, Vol. II, Harold Berman, p. 483 [VRAI bronze seal # 18]
Measurements: 14 1/2" W x 5 7/8" D x 6 3/4" H
Condition Report:
Light patina wear from handling. Carefully cleaned, waxed and polished - a fine presentation.