19th Century French Spelter Pointer Dog Sculpture on Marble Base Signed Masson

$1,600

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The antique spelter sculpture was created in France, circa 1870. Set on a rectangular variegated base, the work features an Irish setter pointing while lifting his front leg. The hunting dog figure is signed on the base, C. Masson. The piece is in excellent condition with wonderful details and rich patinated bronze finish, and would make an interesting addition to a shelf in a library or a desk in a study. Listed in the Benezit. Clovis Edmond Masson (1838-1913) was a French animalier sculptor. Born in Paris, he was best known for his intricate, expressive bronze figures that depicted birds, dogs and hunting scenes. A pupil of Barye, Rouillard and Santiago he exhibited his animalier sculpture regularly at the Salon from 1867 until 1909. Starting in 1867 with the ‘Indian Tiger Hunt’ in plaster. His work is often playful and inventive with a certain licence from his mentor, Barye. Casts vary in quality but are often of quite a high standard. Over the years at least fifty-two of his works were exhibited at the Salon by Masson, chiefly of the cat family with titles such as ‘African Leopard defending its Prey’ in 1881, some deer such as ‘Fighting Stags’ in 1883, and horses, one of which is possibly based on Barye’s Cheval Turc. The most common of his statues on the open market today are his animals of the cat family, often powerfully modeled in a manner that seems to anticipate the forms and style of the 1910 to 1930 period. His son Jules- Edmond Masson also became a sculptor and studied under his father. Measures: 16.25″ W x 3.75″ D x 7.75″ H.

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