A large late 19th century bronze figure of a recumbent greyhound after French animalier sculptor Christophe Fratin (1801-1864), with a warm brown patina on a rouge griotte marble base. Signed 'FRATIN' on collar.

Bronze length: 37cm
Base length: 41cm
Bronze height: 18cm
Total height: 22cm

Christophe Fratin was born in Metz in France in 1801. He first studied sculpture under Pioche in Metz under whom he honed his technical skills. He then became a pupil of the painter Theodore Gericault in Paris where he pursued his career as a sculptor.

Fratin first exhibited at the Paris Salon as early as 1831, where he showed ‘Fermer – An English Thoroughbred’. The popularity of Fratin’s sculpture in England had a significant impact on his career. His modelling style reflected  his imaginative mind and sense of humour, particularly in his humorous modelling of bears.

Fratin was asked to sculpt life-size monuments for French cities, including his home town of Metz. At the Great Exhibition of 1851 in London he was considered the greatest animalier sculptor of the day. Fratin’s bronzes can be found in several museums outside France including the Wallace Collection in London and his reputation stretches as far afield as Germany, Austria and America, where there is a life-size sculpture of two eagles in Central Park, New York.