catalog text
"PAN ET OURSONS”
After a model by Emmanuel Fremiet (1824-1910)
Patinated bronze over rouge marble | Signed "E. FREMIET" | Stamped "E. FREMIET" verso | Conceived 1867, cast circa late 19th/early 20th century
Item # 105ZSG23W
A very fine model of Pan et Oursons after the monumental original marble sculpture by Emmanuel Fremiet, it depicts the young satyr Pan resting over a naturalistic base at total ease with the nature surrounding him; in his hand he grasps a thin stick and with it he has pushed a honeycomb over to a pair of bear cubs and he watches their antics with a mischievous smile. The sculpture is executed in bronze with a medium brown overall patina finished with burnished wax; it is situated over the original cove-molded rouge marble base.
EMMANUEL FREMIET (FRENCH, 1824-1910)
Fremiet benefited greatly from the patronage of Comte de Nieuwerkerke who held high cultural office as Surintendant des Beaux Arts under the reign of Napoleon III of the Second Empire. Nieuwerkerke engaged Fremiet to redecorate the Louvre with stand-alone sculptural commissions as well as architectural sculpture for the building; he further commissioned Fremiet to complete the monumental original of “Pan et Oursons” in marble. Fremiet worked hard to define himself not purely as an Animalier, working in an incredibly broad range of subjects and genres. But his animal sculptures remain some of his most memorable and enjoyable, particularly the smaller bronzes of individual animals.
Literature and Further Reading:
- The Animaliers, James Mackay, p. 39-45
- “Bronze Sculpture of Les Animaliers”, Jane Horswell, p. 181-200
- Art Bronzes, Michael Forest
- Animals in Bronze, Christopher Payne, p. 75
- Bronzes of the Nineteenth Century: Dictionary of Bronze Sculptors, Pierre Kjellberg, p. 327-337
- Museum D’Orsay, “Pan et Oursons” on display in marble
Measurements: 21" W x 12 1/2" H x 8" D
Condition Report:
Original patina with very minor handling wear. Excellent original condition.