catalog text
JEAN-ALEXANDRE JOSEPH FALGUIERE
French, 1831-1900
"La Vainquer au Combat de Coqs" (Winner of the Cockfight)
Patinated bronze | signed in base A. Falguiére with foundry cachet of Thiebaut Freres | conceived in 1864, cast circa 1890
Item # 306PWM24S
Arguably one of the most critical sculptures to launching his career, Falguiére’s work “The Winner of the Cockfight” was reminiscent in motion and form by the circa 1564 sculpture of “Mercure" by Italian sculptor Jean de Bologne. Falguiére sculpted the model originally in 1864 as a greater than life-size work and presented it as his debut at the Salon where it achieved a medal and was considered by critics to be a masterpiece of elegance and grace. In response to the exhibit, critic Paul de Saint-Victor wrote that it was “One of the most successful debuts in memory”.
It was exhibited again in 1867 at the Exposition Universelle where it won a first class medal and finally at the 1889 Exposition Universelle in Paris. The Louvre in Paris acquired it for their permanent collection and Falguiére returned to Paris with a firmly established reputation and no shortage of public commissions.
The original model was sculpted by Falguiére nude, but when Thiebaut Freres produced the reductions of this edition they clothed the figure to make him more suitable for the tastes of the commercial market. The present example is beautifully cast with an overall nearly matte patina that appears to be a sprayed pigment over chemical base with a muted shine from layers of applied waxes - it has held up beautifully over the last one-hundred and twenty years, remaining a nearly flawless presentation.
Literature & Further Reading
- Bronzes: Sculptors and Founders 1800-1930, Vol. I, Harold Berman, f. 718 [present example, cast by Thiebaut Freres]
- Art Bronzes, Michael Forrest, f. 2.243-2.245 [present example]
- Bronzes of the Nineteenth Century: Dictionary of Sculptors, Pierre Kjellberg, p. 310-311
- E. Benezit Dictionary of Artists, Gründ, Vol. V, 2006, p. 437-8
Measurements: 34" H [total including marble]; 31 3/8" H [bronze] x approx 20" W (at widest points) x 6" bronze base diameter x 8 3/4" marble width/depth
Condition Report:
A perfect presentation. Sealed in wax and polished.