Lot 316: f - Arthur-Marie-Gabriel, Comte du Passage French, 1838-1909 , Cheval à l'entraînement avec son lad (a trotting horse and groom)

signed: C TE du Passage bronze, dark brown patina

measurements note 44 by 62.7cm., 17¼ by 24¾in.

Cheval à l?entraînement avec son lad was modelled by Arthur-Marie-Gabriel, comte du Passage in 1873. It became one of his most enduring works reflecting both his mastery of sculpture and his thorough understanding of his subjects. Its popularity resulted in the model being edited in three sizes, of which this is the medium. Du Passage?s interest in the incidental and naturalistic details is again seen in the present group. The highly finished bronze brings into focus the various textures and minutiae of the scene: the sleek coat of the horse, the vertical lines of the groom?s corduroy breeches, the individual buttons on his gaiters and even the stitching on the sole of the shoe on his raised left foot. Du Passage?s bronzes are rarely marked by foundry stamps, but the quality of the casts is consistently high suggesting that perhaps the sculptor oversaw their finishing.

See also lots 305 & 321.

RELATED LITERATURE
Kjellberg, pp. 530-531; Horswell, p. 274; Payne, pp. 415-416; Lami vol. III, p. 49