Auguste Cain

AUGUSTE NICOLAS CAIN (Paris, 1821 - 1894).
"Pheasant".
Patinated and gilded bronze (retains traces of golden patina).
Without signature.
Marble pedestal.
It shows wear and marks of use.
Measurements: 13 x 20 x 5 cm (sculpture); 2 x 14,5 x 9,5 cm (pedestal).
Auguste Cain, French sculptor specialized in portraying animals. He is known for being the father of the painter and writer Georges Cain, and of the 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.