Giacomo Merculiano – Bronze Stag With Two Does

A beautiful antique bronze sculpture depicting a stag accompanied by his two does, created by the Italian sculptor Giacomo Merculiano (1859–1935). 

This beautiful piece attests to Merculiano’s talent for animal sculpture. The majestic stag, flanked by his two does, is depicted with a remarkable sense of movement, proportion, and the animals’ natural demeanor. The piece exudes elegance, strength  and serenity.

Here we see the qualities that characterize Merculiano’s work: careful observation of nature, precise modeling, and great finesse in the treatment of details. The refined finish particularly highlights the animals’ forms and postures, while the high quality of the bronze lends the piece a remarkable presence and depth. 

Born in Naples in 1859, Giacomo Merculiano studied at the Academyof Fine Arts in Naples. He attracted attention early in his career for his sculptures and notably presented a bronze statuette, Canto fermo, in 1889. Although he was also interested in painting, sculpture remained at the heart of his career.

Around 1900, Merculiano moved to Paris, where he sometimes signed his works “Jacques Merculiano” or “J. Merculiano.” He devoted himself primarily to depicting animals and developed a body of work characterized by a naturalistic approach and great precision in modeling. His bronzes depicting lions, tigers, dogs, and other animals are today highly sought after in the field of animal sculpture and the decorative arts of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He exhibited notably at the Paris Salon beginning in 1914.