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Lot Essay
With their superbly naturalistic depiction of various game and weapons of hunting, this suite of six fantastically detailed marble trophies represents a highly important, yet apparently unrecorded commission in the oeuvre of the celebrated French animalier sculptor, Auguste-Nicolas Cain. Dated 1865 and carved with the arms of the Orléans, the deposed former ruling family of France, the panels were almost certainly supplied for one of the four surviving sons of Louis-Philippe (d. 1850) - either the duc de Nemours (d. 1896), the prince de Joinville (d. 1900), the duc d'Aumale (d. 1897), or the duc de Montpensier (d. 1890).
Having begun his working life in the butcher's shop of his father, Nicolas-François, Auguste-Nicolas Cain (d. 1894) commenced his artistic career as an apprentice in the studio of Alexandre Guionnet, a sculptor in wood who regularly exhibited animal groups at the Salon between 1831 and 1859. Given such beginnings, it is little surprise Cain soon developed an interest in animal sculpture himself, and seeking to acquire a formal artistic training, he became a pupil of the prominent sculptor François Rude (d. 1855). Like Antoine-Louis Barye (d. 1875), father of the animaliers, Cain augmented his training by frequenting the Jardin des Plantes in Paris. There, he observed and sketched at close quarters the huge variety of caged wild animals, which would later serve as models for many of his works. Commencing in 1846, Cain's early Salon entries concentrated predominantly on finely-detailed small-scale bronzes, cast in association with Pierre-Jules Mêne (d. 1879), the most prolific and, arguably, the best of all nineteenth century animalier sculptors. In addition to marrying Mêne's daughter in 1852, Cain's collaboration with the more senior and more established sculptor was to have important repercussions for his career. Mêne was one of the leading lights in the new artistic movement of the Second Empire and initially, through his father-in-law's influence, Cain was able to secure the important official commissions that would rapidly establish his reputation as one of the period's best sculptors. Continuing well into the Third Republic, such commissions included animal sculptures to decorate the Egyptian department at the Louvre, the grounds of the château de Fontainebleau, and the palaces of the Tuileries, the Louvre and the Elysée.
The tradition of trophy carving reached new heights during the reign of Louis XIV, when the Sun-King's extravagant building projects, particularly at Versailles and Marly, required huge numbers of sculptors to execute a vast array of classically inspired decorative schemes, for both interior and exterior. Although focusing predominantly on military subjects, the arts and music - all serving to reinforce the king's own image of himself - trophies emblematic of the hunt were also incorporated into such schemes. During the nineteenth century, the opportunity provided by hunting subjects to show man and beast together in scenes of the highest excitement, action and even danger, led them to fall readily within the sphere of themes treated by the new Romantic movement. Furthermore, since the Age of Chivalry, hunting had been regarded as an obligatory pursuit of royalty and the aristocracy, and consequently, just as elaborate kennels, stables and hunting lodges were commonplace at the châteaux of those in such circles, art depicting this preferred pastime was both popular and prolific. Given their subject-matter, size and number, it is most probable that this set of trophies, together with their accompanying quantity of mouldings, columns, capitals and pilasters, were commissioned for the façade or a principal feature of such a building.
Although plaster models of trophies entitled Renard and Faucon et héron - fitting the same description as two of the present six - were exhibited in 1866 and 1867 respectively (a marble version of the latter was subsequently executed for the Paris hôtel of Paul Demidoff), important as they are, this set of trophies does not figure on the list of Cain's Salon entries during the 1860s. This is explained by the fact that following the overthrow of Louis-Philippe's July Monarchy in 1848, the Orléans family were effectively exiled from France for the duration of Napoleon III's reign as Emperor. The 1860s, which witnessed the artistic flowering of the Second Empire, was therefore an inappropriate time for a recipient of many official commissions to be publicly exhibiting sculpture emblazoned with the arms of the former ruling dynasty.
Other than for his principal Salon exhibits, there is little information available on Cain's private commissions, making it difficult to determine for which of Louis-Philippe's sons these trophies might actually have been executed. During the 1860s, the duc de Nemours, the former King's second son, lived in exile at Bushy House, Twickenham, and did not return to France until the exile law was repealed in 1871. At the same time, the third and fifth sons, the prince de Joinville and duc de Montpensier respectively, were heavily engaged in fighting on the side of Abraham Lincoln in the American Civil War. Henri, duc d'Aumale, the fourth son, is perhaps the most likely candidate. In 1830, when only eight years old, the latter inherited Chantilly from his uncle, the duc de Bourbon. In addition to the château (which the duc had largely reconstructed between 1876 and 1882), racecourse and close to 8,000 hectares of forest, the huge estate also included the Grandes Ecuries, the immense stables and kennels complex, which in the 18th century had housed 240 horses and up to 500 hounds. It is plausible that these trophies were intended for Chantilly and were commissioned by the duc d'Aumale whilst living in exile at Orléans House, Twickenham. The duc is known to have been a keen hunter and interestingly, in 1881, he commissioned Cain to execute life-size bronze groups of his favourite hunting hounds, Lumineau and Seduisant, for the entrance of the château.
Having begun his working life in the butcher's shop of his father, Nicolas-François, Auguste-Nicolas Cain (d. 1894) commenced his artistic career as an apprentice in the studio of Alexandre Guionnet, a sculptor in wood who regularly exhibited animal groups at the Salon between 1831 and 1859. Given such beginnings, it is little surprise Cain soon developed an interest in animal sculpture himself, and seeking to acquire a formal artistic training, he became a pupil of the prominent sculptor François Rude (d. 1855). Like Antoine-Louis Barye (d. 1875), father of the animaliers, Cain augmented his training by frequenting the Jardin des Plantes in Paris. There, he observed and sketched at close quarters the huge variety of caged wild animals, which would later serve as models for many of his works. Commencing in 1846, Cain's early Salon entries concentrated predominantly on finely-detailed small-scale bronzes, cast in association with Pierre-Jules Mêne (d. 1879), the most prolific and, arguably, the best of all nineteenth century animalier sculptors. In addition to marrying Mêne's daughter in 1852, Cain's collaboration with the more senior and more established sculptor was to have important repercussions for his career. Mêne was one of the leading lights in the new artistic movement of the Second Empire and initially, through his father-in-law's influence, Cain was able to secure the important official commissions that would rapidly establish his reputation as one of the period's best sculptors. Continuing well into the Third Republic, such commissions included animal sculptures to decorate the Egyptian department at the Louvre, the grounds of the château de Fontainebleau, and the palaces of the Tuileries, the Louvre and the Elysée.
The tradition of trophy carving reached new heights during the reign of Louis XIV, when the Sun-King's extravagant building projects, particularly at Versailles and Marly, required huge numbers of sculptors to execute a vast array of classically inspired decorative schemes, for both interior and exterior. Although focusing predominantly on military subjects, the arts and music - all serving to reinforce the king's own image of himself - trophies emblematic of the hunt were also incorporated into such schemes. During the nineteenth century, the opportunity provided by hunting subjects to show man and beast together in scenes of the highest excitement, action and even danger, led them to fall readily within the sphere of themes treated by the new Romantic movement. Furthermore, since the Age of Chivalry, hunting had been regarded as an obligatory pursuit of royalty and the aristocracy, and consequently, just as elaborate kennels, stables and hunting lodges were commonplace at the châteaux of those in such circles, art depicting this preferred pastime was both popular and prolific. Given their subject-matter, size and number, it is most probable that this set of trophies, together with their accompanying quantity of mouldings, columns, capitals and pilasters, were commissioned for the façade or a principal feature of such a building.
Although plaster models of trophies entitled Renard and Faucon et héron - fitting the same description as two of the present six - were exhibited in 1866 and 1867 respectively (a marble version of the latter was subsequently executed for the Paris hôtel of Paul Demidoff), important as they are, this set of trophies does not figure on the list of Cain's Salon entries during the 1860s. This is explained by the fact that following the overthrow of Louis-Philippe's July Monarchy in 1848, the Orléans family were effectively exiled from France for the duration of Napoleon III's reign as Emperor. The 1860s, which witnessed the artistic flowering of the Second Empire, was therefore an inappropriate time for a recipient of many official commissions to be publicly exhibiting sculpture emblazoned with the arms of the former ruling dynasty.
Other than for his principal Salon exhibits, there is little information available on Cain's private commissions, making it difficult to determine for which of Louis-Philippe's sons these trophies might actually have been executed. During the 1860s, the duc de Nemours, the former King's second son, lived in exile at Bushy House, Twickenham, and did not return to France until the exile law was repealed in 1871. At the same time, the third and fifth sons, the prince de Joinville and duc de Montpensier respectively, were heavily engaged in fighting on the side of Abraham Lincoln in the American Civil War. Henri, duc d'Aumale, the fourth son, is perhaps the most likely candidate. In 1830, when only eight years old, the latter inherited Chantilly from his uncle, the duc de Bourbon. In addition to the château (which the duc had largely reconstructed between 1876 and 1882), racecourse and close to 8,000 hectares of forest, the huge estate also included the Grandes Ecuries, the immense stables and kennels complex, which in the 18th century had housed 240 horses and up to 500 hounds. It is plausible that these trophies were intended for Chantilly and were commissioned by the duc d'Aumale whilst living in exile at Orléans House, Twickenham. The duc is known to have been a keen hunter and interestingly, in 1881, he commissioned Cain to execute life-size bronze groups of his favourite hunting hounds, Lumineau and Seduisant, for the entrance of the château.