Auguste Cain

AUGUSTE NICOLAS CAIN (Paris, 1821 - 1894).
"Nis de faisans".
Patinated bronze.
Signed on the front of the base.
With Barbedienne foundry stamp on the back and numbered.
Measurements: 64 x 89 x 31 cm.

The natural elegance of the pheasant and the delicacy of its plumage is magnificently captured in this sculptural group by August Cain, French bronze artist specialized in the animalistic genre. The two birds are sculpted with special attention to detail: the meticulously textured plumage and the anatomical elements, such as the legs and beak, reflect a profound knowledge of animal behavior and anatomy. The postures (one pecks through the grass, the other stands erect) convey both the grace and majesty of the pheasant.

August Cain was the progenitor of painter and writer Georges Cain, and man of letters and painter Henri Cain. After working in the family butcher's shop, he studied with Alexandre Guionnet and François Rude, then devoted himself to animal anatomy at the Jardin des Plantes in Paris. In the 1840s, he provided goldsmith models and became associated with the sculptor Pierre-Jules Mène. He began exhibiting at the Paris Salon in 1846. His works, both statuettes and larger sculptures, focus on the realistic representation of animals in their natural environment. From the 1860s, he received official commissions, most notably his monumental animal sculptures in Parisian gardens. His best known works show large carnivores and their prey, as well as domestic and big game animals, such as lions.