catalog text
"MÉNÉLAS ET GRONDEUR, SAINT-HUBERT DOGS" (1886) AFTER A MODEL BY LEON BUREAU (FRENCH, 1866-1906)
In patinated bronze; signed L. BUREAU on base, each dog named in base MENELAS and GRONDEUR
Item # 008HWP13J
A superb bronze group by Léon Bureau, this model of a pair of bloodhounds was exhibited at Salon in 1886 as "Ménélas et Grondeur", the base inscribed as such at the feet of each respective hound. Finished in a translucent reddish-brown patination preserved under beeswax, the model positively glows in the right light. With fine chiseling and chasing of all surfaces and a beautifully textured surface captured from the early mold, this is a very nice acquisition for the collector of Animalier bronzes. The casting retains a mid-20th century shipping label to the underside noting its origins in Montreuil, France.
Artist Listings & Bibliography:
- Bronzes of the Nineteenth Century: A Dictionary of Sculptors, Pierre Kjellberg, Schiffer, 1994, p. 162 [present model pictured at 28cm height entitled "Deux Chiens de Chasse"]
- E. Benezit Dictionary of Artists, Vol. III, Gründ, 2006, p. 31 [refers to the model in old auction records as "Two Bloodhounds"]
Measurements: 11" H x 8 3/4" D x 11 3/8" W
Condition Report:
A fine original patina with only very minor handling wear. Missing the leash, though we can have one fabricated upon request (originally this was a simple twisted copper wire binding the two dogs together).