Arthur Waagen (1833-1898)
Irish Wolfhound named ‘Gelert’, circa 1865
Bronze
30 x 23cm
Further images
A bronze Irish Wolfhound named ‘Gelert’
Provenance
Collection of the 3rd Earl of Feversham
Arthur Waagen (German 1833-1898): A 19th century bronze of the Irish Wolfhound 'Gelert', the base set with a scroll giving the dimensions and weight of the dog and prizes won in the 1860s, including locations in the England and Paris. With signature in the base inscribed 'Waagen'.
The subject has been named after the legend of Gelert, which tells the tragic story of the faithful Irish Wolfhound who was slain by his master, Prince Llewellyn of Wales, in the mistaken belief he had killed his infant son, when Gelert had actually killed a wolf threatening the baby.
Arthur Waagen was a German sculptor and animalier; a member of the 19th-century movement specializing in the realistic portrayal of animals. Celebrated in his time for his Orientalist cast bronze sculptures, the artist frequently depicted imagery associated with North African Muslim culture, sport hunting iconography, and historical or popular culture themes. He is best known for his depictions of dogs, often using related objects and other accompanying figures to create a context for his sculptures. One example is one of his most popular works, 'Kabyle au retour de la chasse' (1869), a sculpture featuring a Beber tribesman mounted on horseback and surrounded by hunting dogs, which the artist cast multiple times, one of which is now housed in the Dahesh Museum in New York.
Born in 1833 in East Prussia, Waagen traveled to France to pursue his artistic career and set up a studio along the Parisian street Cours-de-Vincennes. Waagen exhibited regularly at the Parisian Salons from 1869 to 1887, and died in 1898.
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