Hippolyte MAINDRON (1801-1884) - Lot 63

Hippolyte MAINDRON (1801-1884) Arab rider attacked by a tiger Brown-black patina sculpture Probable design for a romantic mantelpiece Early cast iron, circa 1840-1850 Signed on the base Dimensions: 33.1 x 35.2 x 13.8 cm Note: This sculpture is a confidential circa 1840-1850 print of several proofs, this one from the Romantic period. In this sculpture with its brown-black patina, Hippolyte Maindron illustrates with dramatic intensity a striking confrontation between an Arab rider and a tiger. Through dynamic modeling and tense composition, the artist conveys the force of movement and the expressiveness of the figures, characteristic of sculptural Romanticism. Produced in antique cast iron around 1840-1850, this rare work, probably designed for a mantelpiece, testifies to Maindron's virtuosity in staging the orientalist and heroic themes popular in his day.