Bronze, The Attack Of The Serpent, Auguste Jean-baptiste Lechesne (1852)

Brown patinated bronze, signed and dated "Auguste Lechesne de Caen 1853". The subject of this sculpture is based on the story of Bashaw, a British captain's dog who saved the Maharajah's son from a ferocious snake. The Newfoundland's heroic action made headlines, and several artists, including the French sculptor Auguste Lechesne, were inspired by the story. The original design for this sculpture was executed in plaster and exhibited at the Great Exhibition of 1851 at the Crystal Palace in London. Public interest was such that a smaller version was executed in bronze in 1853.

Auguste Jean-Baptiste Lechesne was born on September 14, 1815, in Caen, a coastal town in Normandy. He attended the École nationale supérieure des beaux-arts in Paris and became a pupil of Pierre-Charles Simart (1806-1857) and Jean-Baptiste Joseph Debay (1779-1863). In 1840, he was commissioned to create a frieze for the Restaurant de la Cité in the 9th arrondissement. His sumptuous decoration soon earned the restaurant the nickname "Maison Dorée." Recognition of his talent led to numerous commissions to decorate Parisian mansions. After a medal at the 1848 Salon, he received two prizes at the 1851 Universal Exhibition, followed by a cross of honor at the 1855 Exposition Universelle. A year later, he entered the prestigious Prix de Rome but finished second. At the 1858 Salon, Lechesne attracted attention with an impressive group of cement sculptures. The city of Paris briefly considered purchasing the sculpture to install in the Bois de Boulogne, but was ultimately unable to finance the project. Ultimately, the sculpture was donated to the city of Caen, where it found a home in the local botanical garden. However, the work suffered greatly from the weather and was finally destroyed in 1895. Several other Lechesne statues on display in the city were badly damaged during the Battle of Caen in the summer of 1944.