24cm (9.4in) x 19cm (7.4in) x 26.5cm
Patinated bronze. Model of an English bulldog set four square on a naturalistic base, the whole raised on a stepped marble base, the base bearing a signature ‘Mene’.
Pierre Jules Mène (1810-1879) was Paris animalier. He was the son of a decorative bronze founder specializing in the manufacture of chandeliers and torches. He worked initially as a modeller for a porcelain factory causing him to make close study of flora and fauna in botanical and zoological gardens. He exhibited for the first time at the Paris Salon in 1838. He created his own foundry workshop, which he personally managed until 1877. After his death the Susse foundry bought the reproduction rights to his work and continued to produce it.