Sculpture - Hare At The Toilet By Prosper Lecourtier (1851–1924) - Bronze

An elegant bronze cast with a brown patina , depicting the "Hare At The Toilet" by the French animal sculptor , Prosper Lecourtier (1851–1924) .
This naturalistic work of great finesse is characteristic of the 19th-century French animal school movement .
The hare is depicted sitting on its hind legs , its body slightly bent and turned to the right .
Its pose captures a moment in the animal’s wild life , the hare is in the midst of grooming itself , with one front paw raised toward its muzzle to lick and clean its fur .
The composition soars upward thanks to the upright position of the body , and especially thanks to the verticality of its long ears , characteristic of this breed of hare .
The sculptor has achieved remarkable modeling to convey the texture of the fur .
The surface is not smooth , but consists of small , energetic strokes and irregular reliefs that catch the light , giving the hare’s coat a sense of life , suppleness, and density .
Despite the spontaneity of the modeling , the musculature of the hind legs , the slenderness of the front legs , and the bony structures of the head are anatomically very precise .
The eyes , large and expressive , give the animal a gaze that is both focused and gentle .
The hare rests on a bronze base simulating a natural , rocky surface , dotted with subtle organic reliefs , on which a snail is depicted .
On the front right side of this base , the artist’s signature “P. LECOURTIER” is embossed, perfectly integrated into the naturalistic base .
The bronze features a nuanced brown patina , with lighter , warmer highlights on the rounded areas contrasting with darker areas in the recesses of the sculpture .
This interplay of light and shadow accentuates the sculpture’s dynamism .
A rare antique sculpture dating from the late 19th century .
Excellent condition and patina .

Height : 25 cm

Prosper Lecourtier (1851–1924)

Prosper Lecourtier , born July 12 , 1851 in Gremilly and died January 19 , 1925 in Saint-Maurice , is a famous French animal sculptor . 

A student of Emmanuel Fremiet (1824-1910) and Jules Coutan (1848-1939) , he exhibited regularly at the Salon of 1875 , until his death in 1924 . 
Emmanuel Fremiet , seems to have bequeathed to his student his passion for the animal world , however P. Lecourtier detaches himself from his model bythe integration of movement . 
He has a real sense of naturalism in the anatomical modeling and the expressions of the animals represented . 

His talent was already recognized during his lifetime since he won several medals at the Salon and at the Universal Exhibitions .The sculptor Alexis Andre (1858-1935) described the artist in these terms : "Lecourtier , animal sculptor of great talent , accomplished bohemian with a mysterious life" .