Sculpture - Mare And Foal , Christophe Fratin (1801-1864) - Bronze

Important bronze group with brown patina , featuring "The Broodmare" , an emblematic work by the sculptor , Christophe Fratin (1801-1864) .
This group features a mare and her foal , illustrating both the maternal tenderness and the power of the animal .
Romanticism is evident in his subjects, in which the horse plays an important role.
The work bears witness to the growing infatuation with the realistic representation of animals during this period , and positions the sculptor as a precursor in the field of animal sculpture .
Fine details and expressions contribute to making this composition lively and expressive .
Group resting on a naturalistic terrace , richly chased and treed , bearing the sculptor's signature "FRATIN".
Bronze titled"MÉDÉE" , on the front of the terrace .
Sculpture dating from the second part of the XIX th century , circa 1860 .
Perfect state of preservation and patina .

Dimensions: 36 cm x 43 cm x 15 cm

Christophe Fratin (1801 - 1864)

Christophe Fratin was a French sculptor , pioneer of the animal style , he is presented as "the formidable rival" of Antoine-Louis Barye , in the representation of animals .

The sculptor began his apprenticeship at the Art School in Metz .
He was a pupil of Carle Vernet and Theodore Gericault in Paris .
From 1831, he exhibited regularly at the Salon .
The sculptor's repeated successes at the Salons of 1834 , 1835 and 1836 aroused the interest of the aristocracy .

Christophe Fratin stood out from other sculptors of his time for his eagerness to create models , and his ability to provide large-scale works .
His works were exhibited at Susse House , which ran a store Passage of Panoramas in Paris , where they were then offered in plaster .
It was really in 1835 that Fratin's bronze editions began .
His bronzes were produced using the sand casting technique and in variable dimensions .
He was one of the first , if not the first , to engage in edition sculpture .

Christophe Fratin's audience quickly became international .
He left for England between 1833 and 1834 .
Throughout his career , the interest of his English clientele never waned .
The artist also produced large-scale Romantic groups in Germany , in Potsdam , at the castles of Sans-Souci and Babelsberg , where some are still preserved .
This tireless worker even exported his works as far as St. Petersburg , where they decorated the Park of the Russian Emperor.
Romanticism is evident in his subjects , where the horse plays an important role .

In 1837, the Salon became hostile to the young Romantic generation , and C.Fratin's participation was reduced to his "The Broodmare" .
The sculptor then concentrated on editions and the realization of small commercial models .
In 1862 , he carried out his last commission by ministerial decision , "Goat and Kid" .
He also took part in various exhibitions , such as the Exposition of the Society of Friends of the Arts in Bordeaux , Metz World's Fair , under the patronage of the Empress in 1861 , and the 1862 Universal Exhibition in London .

Today, Christophe Fratin's sculptures can be found in the permanent collections of the Louvre , and Museums in Metz , Lyon , Strasbourg and Nîmes ...
Christophe Fratin died on August 17, 1864 , in Raincy .
He is buried in the Montmartre cemetery.