A standing bull
probably French School
Category
Art / Sculpture
Date
c. 1850 - 1900
Materials
Bronze
Measurements
117 x 205 x 45 mm
Place of origin
France
Order this imageCollection
Anglesey Abbey, Cambridgeshire
NT 515168
Summary
Bronze, a standing bull, probably French or Spanish School, c. 1850-1900. A bronze figure of a standing bull, left legs forward, tail out behind, head raised. The animal is alert and has an aggressive demeanour, as if about to charge. Mounted on a separately cast rectangular bronze base. The tail is separately cast and attached to the body of the bull. Probably made in the 19th century, in France or in Spain.
Full description
This lively statuette depicts a bull facing some opponent, his head raised and expression alert, the tail raised. It was made in the nineteenth century, probably in France but possibly in Spain. The bronze may be related to figures of bulls made by sculptors working in the school known today as ‘Animaliers’, who specialised in bronze sculptures of a wide variety of wild and domesticated animals. The figure of the bull is close to, if less vigorous than, sculptures of bulls by the French animalier sculptor Christophe Fratin (1801-64; Jane Horswell, Bronze Sculpture of “Les Animaliers”. Reference and Price Guide, Woodbridge 1971, pp. 98,102). Other animalier sculptors who made figures of bulls include Antoine-Louis Barye (1796-1875; see NT 515001 for an example at Anglesey Abbey), Rosa Bonheur(1822-1899) and her brother Isidore Bonheur (1827-1901). Jeremy Warren 2020
Provenance
Bequeathed to the National Trust by Huttleston Rogers Broughton, 1st Lord Fairhaven (1896-1966) with the house and the rest of the contents.
Credit line
Anglesey Abbey, The Fairhaven Collection (The National Trust)
Makers and roles
probably French School, sculptor possibly Spanish School, sculptor