Henri-Alfred JACQUEMART (1824 /1896). Based on. - Lot 157

Henri-Alfred JACQUEMART (1824 /1896). Based on. English Pointer and its prey, cast-iron sculpture. Height 97 cm Henri-Alfred Jacquemart: a master of animal sculpture. Henri-Alfred Jacquemart is a key figure in French animal sculpture. Trained at the École des Beaux-Arts, he was influenced by the 19th-century craze for the faithful representation of animals, a movement embodied by artists such as Antoine-Louis Barye. Jacquemart excelled in the study of animal postures and expressions, giving his works a striking sense of vivacity and realism. His sculptures were often produced in bronze, but some, such as this cast-iron English pointer, became more widely available thanks to the industrialization of manufacturing processes. Cast iron in the 19th century: a fast-growing ornamental material : Cast iron experienced spectacular growth in France from the end of the 18th century, and even more so under the Empire and the July Monarchy. As Jean-Paul Zitt explains in his study "Le début de la fonte de fer sous l'Empire et la Monarchie" (The beginning of cast iron under the Empire and the Monarchy), this material gradually established itself in the field of ornamentation thanks to its technical and economic properties: 19th-century animal cast iron is a remarkable testimony to the industrial and artistic know-how of the period. This development nevertheless gave rise to aesthetic and technical debates. Some criticize cast iron for its insincerity compared to noble materials such as bronze or stone. Yet its role in improving and embellishing towns is undeniable, with the appearance of numerous cast-iron elements in public spaces: railings, benches, lampposts, fountains and decorative sculptures. The English pointer, an elegant and powerful hunting dog, was a favorite subject of 19th-century animal sculpture. The cast work after Jacquemard perfectly captures the dog's attitude, captured with naturalistic rigor, translating its hunting instinct, while the depiction of the prey adds a narrative dimension to the scene. This type of sculpture blends harmoniously into the landscaped gardens of grand residences, public parks and even city streets. It contributes to the staging of a romantic, picturesque environment, characteristic of nineteenth-century landscaping, where nature and art come together to create spaces for contemplation. In the 19th century, cast iron was much more than a simple industrial material: it became a veritable vector for the embellishment of private and public spaces. The animal sculpture after Jacquemart is a striking example, combining aesthetics, accessibility and modernity.