catalog text
”SPANISH RIDER ON A MULE” AFTER MODEL BY ISIDORE BONHEUR (FRENCH, 1827-1901)
Base edge stamped PEYROL, signed in cast “I. Bonheur”, circa 1870s
Item # 004KLI11K
An exquisitely detailed model of a Spanish peasant rider trudging downhill on a blanketed mule, the work is characteristic of Isidore Bonheur in his careful and accurate depiction of the animal’s calm and easy-going demeanor as it places one foot before the other. Properly scaling out the proportions for both the rider and the mule is difficult and this is a complex scene to pull off - Bonheur accomplishes this with flawless realism, as the rider leans backwards and braces himself against the slight slope. An intricate display of blankets with twisted tassels, the provincial riding blanket beneath this with long knotted tassels swinging with the donkey’s legs and the intricate tasseled crown worn by the donkey are all depicted with crisp and convincing realism.
The rocky base is signed in his typical blocked script “I BONHEUR” along the front left. Like the majority of his works, the sculpture was cast by his brother-in-law, Hippolyte Peyrol, and is stamped to the reverse “PEYROL” in a tiny marking. It is a very fine cast with dozens of individually elements brought together flawlessly. The underside shows standard base construction for the Peyrol firm, with a relatively clean core and peened joinery.
Literature & Further Reading:
- Animals in Bronze, Christopher Payne, p. 311, f. H101 [present example]
- E. Benezit Dictionary of Artists, Vol. II, Gründ, 2006, p. 802-803
- The Bronzes of the Nineteenth Century: A Dictionary of Sculptors, Pierre Kjellberg, 1994, p. 101-106
- Bronze Sculpture of Les Animaliers, Jane Horswell, 1971, p. 201-216
- The Animaliers, James Mackay, 1973, p. 46-55
- Art Bronzes, Michael Forrest, 1988, p. 471
Measurements: 13 3/4” H x 12 3/4” W; base is 10 1/4" W x 4 1/4” D
Condition Report:
Original patina with very minor handling wear. Cleaned, waxed and polished, remaining in excellent presentation-ready condition.