Original works of art
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Emmanuel J. Frémiet |
(French, 1824 -1910 ) |
Frémiet was an important animal sculptor, who often did individual dogs. He was born in Paris to an artistic family and had his first lesson in drawing from the well known artist, François Rude. Despite a variety of jobs early in his career, he became one of the most prominent of the French animalier artists. He received numerous wards and prizes during his career and even succeeded Barye as Professor of Drawing at The Museum of Natural History. He was made a Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour and, surprisingly, elected an Associate of the Royal Academy in London.
In addition to his smaller works, which were for the most part done earlier in his career, he completed many monumental commissions throughout France and as far away as Baltimore and Port Said. Like the work of Mène, the individual animal studies are very much portraits of specific animals, and they are depicted with a sympathy which is related to the dog and portraiture in painting of the earlier artist, Edwin Landseer. Ravageot and Ravageole, for instance, are portraits of specific hounds that belonged to Napoleon III, and they are sculptured with great affection. Ravageot sits up, while Ravageole bends down to inspect a snail which she has discovered at her feet. The bronze was also cast in a life size version. |