Jules Moigniez bronze sculpture: Pheasant hen and her young signed on the terrace c. 19th century

Adorable small animal bronze signed Jules Moigniez (1835-1894) 19th century period
Very finely chased
A hen looking at her young, who are waiting to be pecked, with great expression in her eyes.
Terrace with plants
Shaded brown patina
Intaglio signature J. Moigniez on the terrace
Very good condition
h : 13,4 cm
length : 11,6 cm
width : 6,8 cm
Jules Moigniez :
Jules Moigniez (May 28, 1835 - May 29, 1894) was a 19th-century French animal sculptor. His work was mainly in bronze, and he frequently exhibited his sculptures at the Paris Salon. He was best known for his bird bronzes, although his talent and versatility enabled him to produce quality horse sculptures (mainly racehorses), dog sculptures and hunting scenes. His bird sculptures were among the finest ever created in his day.
Biography:
Jules Moigniez was born in Senlis on May 28, 1835, the son of a metal gilder. Moigniez's father bought a foundry to mold his son's sculptures, which was of great benefit to Moigniez as he didn't have the extra foundry costs that most of his contemporaries had to pay. Moigniez studied sculpture under the tutelage of Paul Comoléra (a pupil of François Rude) in Paris.
It is highly likely that Moigniez's attraction to bird sculpture was a direct result of his education under Comoléra, who was himself a bird specialist. These bird sculptures are reminiscent of paintings by deHondecoeter, Casteels and Snyders. Moigniez's bird sculptures reflect dynamic movement, as if captured by a high-speed photographic portrait. A wide variety of patinas, including silver plate, gilt bronze and gilding, were unique.
During his forty-year career as a sculptor, Moigniez exhibited thirty works at the Salon between 1855 and 1892. His first participation in a major art exhibition, at the age of twenty, was his plaster cast, Pointer s'arrêtant devant un faisan, at the 1855 Universal Exhibition. He exhibited regularly at the Salon from 1859 to 1892, winning an honorable mention in his first year. He exhibited his sculptures again at the Exposition Universelle in Paris in 1878.
Moigniez is renowned for the fine detail and chiseling of his sculptures. His bronzes, usually cast using the lost-wax method, are always impeccably chased and patinated, and are particularly sought-after in the UK. More than half of his lifetime output was sold in England. By the end of the 19th century, his sculptures had also become popular in the USA. Unlike other animal artists of the period such as P. J. Mêne and Antoine-Louis Barye, Moigniez's bird sculptures often incorporated highly detailed bases with bushes, extensive foliage and undergrowth. His casts were generally of excellent quality, with a wide variety of patinas, gold and silver patinas being the most sought-after by collectors.
His bronzes could be criticized for excessive detail, the result of overly meticulous and excessive chasing. Moigniez redeems himself, however, by depicting a certain "elegance of attitude" in his sculpture. His Chien braque arrêtant un faisan (1859), cast in bronze, was acquired by the French government for the Château de Compiègne.
By December 1869, his sculptures had begun to be imported into the United States by the Philadelphia jewelry store J. E. Caldwell & Co. The store also carried works by Grégoire, Carrier-Belleuse, Mêne and other French sculptors.
Moigniez suffered a long illness in the last years of his life. He died in Saint-Martin-du-Tertre, France, by his own hand, when he committed suicide one day after his 59th birthday, on May 29, 1894.
His bird sculptures are among the finest ever created.

Ref: NTIE4NAQ0W