This mare and her foal by Pierre-Jules Mêne for example. Strongly influenced by the romantic painting of Horace Vernet and the menagerie of the Jardin des Plantes, Mêne created his own foundry workshop, soon joined by his son-in-law Auguste Cain. Mêne's animal sculptures were very popular during the Second Empire, as were those of Antoine-Louis Barye and Pierre Louis Rouillard (1820-1881).
In the twentieth century, animal sculpture was freed from details considered superfluous to adopt more fluid patinas and more roundness, giving the genre a certain softness.

LOT n°64 Pierre Jules MENE Pierre-Jules MÊNE (1810-1879) - Jument normande et son poulain - Bronze à patine brun rouge richement soutenu. Épreuve ancienne signée "P-J. Mêne", datée 1868 - Atelier de P.J. Mène - 45 x 61,6 cm    Fiche détaillée

This flat-tailed pigeon by Jan & Joel Martel (1896-1966) from 1925, with its smooth patina and refined forms, perfectly illustrates this change in style. The two sculptors, twin brothers, almost as one, designed sculptures and other monuments, inspired by cubism and the Art Deco movement. They collaborated with great architects and designers such as Jean Prouvé or Charlotte Perriand.
 

LOT n°61 J.MARTEL J. MARTEL (1896-1966) - Pigeon à queue plate, 1925 - Palissandre - Musée de Cambrai - Taille ancienne non signée - 25,9 x 29,7 x 14,8 cm - Provenance : famille de l'artiste - cet exemplaire reproduit dans…    Fiche détaillée

Recently, animal sculpture has regained popularity, notably thanks to the honouring of Rembrandt Bugatti and François Pompon at the Musée d'Orsay, and several exhibitions, such as "La beauté animale" at the Grand Palais. The latter (Barye, Bugatti, Pompon, without forgetting François-Xavier Lalanne the star of the moment! ) hold, in this field, the top of the pavement! Pleasant, timeless... Universal, the craze for animal sculpture is no surprise to anyone. And prices have exploded in the last ten years, especially for 20th century works!
Among other symbols of 20th century animal sculpture, François Pompon (1855-1933) reverses the genres. A student of Rodin and Camille Claudel, he freed himself from the "falbalas" of the expressionist style of his masters and abandoned female representations to concentrate on animals. Like other sculptors before him, Pompon was inspired by the menagerie of the Jardin des Plantes, and made a name for himself with his famous model, the White Bear. He breaks the codes of the 19th century with a modernist practice and presents his muse (the White Bear) at the Salon d'Automne in 1922. This one will be a great success! 100 years after the Salon d'Automne, Pompon's monochromatic bear met the "Bleu Klein". The majestic animal shed its great white coat for blue. Edition Yves Klein is reissuing Pompon's bear in a limited and numbered edition. Interested parties will be able to acquire theirs next Thursday at Expertisez.com's auction.  

LOT n°58 YVES KLEIN Yves KLEIN éditions - Ours Pompon - Ours réalisé en résine de 40 cm d'après un moule original de l'Ours blanc de François Pompon - Finition IKB - L’édition porte un numéro individuel certifié sous la…    Fiche détaillée