catalog text
EMMANUEL FREMIET (FRENCH, 1824-1910) “JEUNE ÉLÉPHANT PRIS AU PIÈGE”
Signed Fremiet in naturalistic base, inscribed "Coulé en cuivre de l'Ounyamouesi"; patinated copper
Item # 809SJH28L
The monumental life-size original of this work was sculpted in 1878 and is presently on display at the Musée d’Orsay in Paris. This version is a reduction reworked by Fremiet for the retail market, which in light of its size has had removed the ground elements of twisting ropes and a monkey looking on in amusement. It was commissioned by the Living Artists Acquisition Service in 1877, originally as a Buffalo to present on the terrace of the Trocadéro Palace but as Fremiet did not find the subject interesting he chose to instead sculpt the Young Elephant Trapped. A sensitive and empathetic work, Fremiet does a marvelous job of capturing the youth’s immaturity and shock at having been hobbled by a crude slipknot trap. The present example is inscribed along the corner (translation) “Cast in copper from the Ounyamouesi“. It is an exquisite little sculpture with a translucent patina that simply glows and allows the golden-red hue of the metal to shine through brilliantly.
Measurements: 6 1/2” H x 5 3/4” W x 2 1/4” D
Literature and Further Reading:
- "The Animaliers", James Mackay
- “Bronze Sculpture of Les Animaliers”, Jane Horswell
- "Art Bronzes", Michael Forest
- "Animals in Bronze", Christopher Payne
- "Bronzes of the Nineteenth Century: Dictionary of Bronze Sculptors", Pierre Kjellberg, p. 327-337
Condition Report:
Exceptional original condition, no flaws.