catalog text
"OURS MARCHANT" CAST AFTER A MODEL BY ISIDORE BONHEUR (FRENCH, 1827-1901)
Patinated bronze; signed I. Bonheur, cold-stamped FRANCE, faint PEYROL cold-stamp
Item # C104022
With a complex original patina with varying hues of brown, red-oxide and traces of black, this sculpture captures the slow movements of a sleepy bear as he trudges across a naturalistic base over scattered broken bones. It was cast by the Hippolyte Peyrol foundry after the original wax model by Isidore Bonheur, the marking barely discernible to the right of the cold-stamped FRANCE, having mostly worn away. The figure is affixed to the base with peened posts through the sand cast base. It is signed in his typical script along the base I. Bonheur.
This is a rather rare model by Bonheur and a fine acquisition for the serious collector of the Animaliers.
Literature & Further Reading:
- The Animaliers, James Mackay, 1973, p. 52 [present example illustrated with 8 1/2" width]
- The Bronzes of Les Animaliers, Jane Horswell, 1971, p. 216
Measurements: 5 1/8" H x 8 1/2" W x 3 1/4" D
Condition Report:
Minor handling wear to patina. Scuff to edges of base.