19th C. French Bronze Hunting Dogs Sculpture on Marble Base Signed C. Masson

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Signed C. Masson, this finely modeled late 19th-century French sculpture depicts a dynamic pair of hunting dogs, each carrying a … Read more Signed C. Masson, this finely modeled late 19th-century French sculpture depicts a dynamic pair of hunting dogs, each carrying a game bird in its mouth. Cast in spelter and finished with a warm copper-brown patina, the piece is emblematic of the animalier tradition, celebrating the realism and vitality of the sporting life. Weight 35 pounds.
The composition features two distinct hounds: one with a smooth, short-haired coat and the other with richly textured fur and feathered ears. Both are rendered mid-stride with expressive detail—muscular forms, alert eyes, and gracefully arched tails—capturing the moment of the hunt with striking naturalism. The dogs are mounted on an oval base with textured ground simulating forest terrain, and the whole is elevated by a stepped plinth in contrasting black and gray marble.
The work bears the signature of Clovis Edmond Masson (1838–1913), a French sculptor celebrated for his lifelike animal figures. Masson trained under Antoine-Louis Barye and exhibited regularly at the Paris Salon beginning in 1867. Though crafted in spelter—a more affordable alternative to bronze—this sculpture retains the fine casting and nuanced surface work associated with the leading animaliers of the era.
In excellent condition with its original patina intact, this decorative piece offers a handsome addition to a library, hunt room, or mantel display in a refined country or classic interior. Listed in the Benezit.
Measures: 22.5” W x 8” D x 13.25” H See less