19th Century Terecotta Sculpture, Panther Hunter, Denmark, Jerichau/p.ipsen

Panther Hunter, Jerichau/P.Ipsen
Black terracottaDenmark
second half of the 19th century
Height 54 cm, width 25 cm, depth 12 cmMarked: P. Ipsen, Kjøbenhavn / Eneret 290

Black terracotta figure depicting a young hunter fighting apanther, based on a model by Jens Adolf Jerichau. The composition shows thenaked man, with classical anatomy, at the moment when he raises his spear todefend himself from the attack of the animal, which is clinging tightly to hisside. The modeling accentuates the twisting of the torso, the tension of themuscles, and the contained energy of the movement, while the panther isdepicted with a ferocious expression and a compressed body in a jumping stance.The characteristic dark finish of black terracotta reinforces the volumes,creates deep shadows, and lends great dramatic intensity to the scene. The basebears the mark P. Ipsen, Kjøbenhavn / Eneret 290, which identifies the model inthe manufacturer's original catalog.
The work comes from the famous P. Ipsen factory inCopenhagen, renowned in the 19th century for the quality and precision of itsblack terracotta pieces inspired by ancient models and prestigious contemporarysculptors such as Jerichau. These pieces were produced using proprietary moldsprotected by reproduction rights, as indicated by the inscription Eneret(“exclusive rights”), which guaranteed the exclusivity of the design andartistic control of the model. In the European bourgeois domestic context, owningan Ipsen figure symbolized culture, refinement, and familiarity with classicalvalues. Their careful craftsmanship, anatomical fidelity, and narrative powermade these sculptures highly prized decorative objects, destined for libraries,music rooms, and private cabinets.
The work belongs to the historicist movement of the secondhalf of the 19th century, a period that saw a proliferation ofreinterpretations of mythological and heroic themes driven by a renewedinterest in Greco-Roman antiquity. Jerichau's model, reinterpreted by Ipsen forits manufacture, exemplifies this tendency to synthesize classical language andromantic sensibility, creating scenes with a strong expressive charge. Due toits technical quality, its documented manufacturing provenance, and its connectionto a leading sculptor in 19th-century Danish art, this piece is a significanttestimony to Nordic decorative sculpture and the European spread ofarchaeological taste.