A Hound Tied Up - Pierre-jules Mene 1810–1879 Barbedienne

Dimensions
Length: approx. 32 cm
Height: approx. 24 cm
Width: approx. 13.5 cm

Weight: 5.2 kg

Signature
On the back of the pedestal

Sculptor’s signature: F. Barbedienne

This powerful, muscular dog was originally sculpted as part of a group of hunting dogs known as Valet de Chasse and His Pack.Pierre-Jules Mêne, as he sometimes did, isolated this dog from the group to make it the central subject. Note that the hound bears on its right flank the mark of its hunting party, that of the Prince of Condé (a cross enclosed in an open triangle). This sculpture was an immediate success, one that endured long after the artist’s death.

Pierre-Jules Mêne exhibited at the Salons beginning in 1838, and until his death, enjoyed unquestionable success there. He accumulated First- and Second-Class gold medals, as well as Third-Class medals of honor...
However, he was regarded more as a decorator than as a true artist. Not only did he not produce monumental sculptures—and he cast his own animal bronzes—but he also handled their sales himself. This commercial approach and the lack of monumental works put the Institution off, but it ensured the fortune of the sculptor and his family. For the public had no such reservations; his bronzes were popular and adorned many a home!

On May 3, 1879, Hortense Mêne passed away after a long illness. Pierre-Jules, unable to imagine life without his partner of more than fifty years, passed away 21 days later, on May 20, at the age of 69;

The funeral of this famous and beloved artist drew a large crowd. Despite the artist’s death, his success did not wane. His daughter Julie, wife of the animal sculptor Auguste Caïn, then took over from her parents in publishing her father’s works.

A multiple award winner at art exhibitions, he was awarded the Legion of Honor in 1861.

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