A beautiful bronze sculpture of a distinguished pair of greyhounds. This high quality bronze is made from the traditional lost wax process and bears the signature of Fremiet. The attention to detail is fantastic and this sculpture, set on an attractive marble base, is extremely lifelike. Condition: In excellent condition, please see photos for confirmation of condition. Dimensions in cm: Height 28 x Width 40 x Depth 19 Dimensions in inches: Height 11 inches x Width 1 foot, 4 inches x Depth 7 inches Emmanuel Frémiet (1824 - 1910) was a French sculptor. He is famous for his sculpture of Joan of Arc in Paris (and its "sister" statues in Philadelphia and Portland, Oregon) and the monument to Ferdinand de Lesseps in Suez. Born in Paris, he was a nephew and pupil of Rude and chiefly devoted himself to animal sculpture. His earliest work was in scientific lithography (osteology), and for a while he served in times of adversity in the gruesome office of painter to the Morgue. In 1843 he sent to the Salon a study of a Gazelle, and after that date worked prolificly. His "Wounded Bear" and "Wounded Dog" were produced in 1850, and the Luxembourg Museum at once secured this striking example of his work. In the 1850s, Frémiet produced various Napoleonic works. In 1853, Frémiet, "the leading sculptor of animals in his day" exhibited bronze sculptures of Emperor Napoleon III's basset hounds at the Paris Salon. Soon afterwards, from 1855 to 1859 Frémiet was engaged on a series of military statuettes for Napoleon III, none of which have survived.[1] He produced his equestrian statue of Napoleon I in 1868, and of Louis d'Orleans of 1869 (at the Ch teau de Pierrefonds) and in 1874 the first equestrian statue of Joan of Arc, erected in the Place des Pyramides, Paris; this he afterwards (1889) replaced with another version. During this period he also executed "Pan and the bear cubs", also acquired by the Luxembourg Museum and now in the Musée d'Orsay. In the meanwhile he had exhibited his "Gorilla Carrying off a Woman" which won him a medal of honour at the Salon of 1887. Although praised in its time, this work now evokes ridicule from some observers for its depiction of a gorilla abducting a nude woman, presumably with the intention of raping her. Accordingly, this act has caught the public's imagination, as witnessed by the repeated popularity of the King Kong theme. Of the same character is his "Ourang-Outangs" and "Borneo Savage" of 1895, a commission from the Paris Museum of Natural History. Frémiet also executed the statue of St Michael for the summit of the spire of the Eglise St Michel, and the equestrian statue of Velasquez for the Jardin de l'Infante at the Louvre. He became a member of the Académie des Beaux-Arts in 1892, and succeeded Barye as professor of animal drawing at the Natural History Museum of Paris. Emmanuel Frémiet died in Paris and was buried in the Cimetière de Louveciennes. Cire Perdue Sometimes called by the French name of 'cire perdue' or the Latin, 'cera perduta' is the process by which a bronze or brass is cast from an artist's sculpture.

In industrial uses, the modern process is called investment casting. An ancient practice, the process today varies from foundry to foundry, but the steps which are usually used in casting small bronze sculptures in a modern bronze foundry are generally quite standardised. Our reference: 02426 Please feel free to email or call us (+44 20 8809 9605) to arrange a viewing in our North London warehouse. Shipping: We ship worldwide and deliver to Mainland UK addresses free of charge. A shipping cost to all other destinations must be requested prior to purchase. To request a shipping quote for the items in your cart, please click HERE. Delivery and return policy: We require that someone be home on the agreed delivery day if applicable, otherwise a redelivery fee will apply. In accordance with Distance Selling Regulations, we offer a 14-day money back guarantee if you are not satisfied with the item. The item must be returned in its original packaging and condition. Unless the item is not as described in a material way, the buyer is responsible for return shipping expenses. Buyers are fully responsible for any customs duties or local taxes that may be incurred on items sent outside of the European Union.