19th Century French Cold Painted Bronze on Onyx ~ Tortoise & Hare

Price: $2,980

19th Century French Cold Painted Bronze on Onyx ~ Tortoise & Hare is a charming depiction of the classic Aesop's fable of the swift rabbit racing the slow but determined tortoise.  The message of the story is that determination can win out against superior odds.  Immortalized by the Greek storyteller, the fables were reprised by Jean de la Fontaine in French which revitalized the fables for a wider European audience during the late 1600s.  Here the artist has depicted both animals in motion with great skill, passing by a twisted tree stump for visual and compositional balance.  The cold-painted bronze method was developed in Europe's art community during the latter 1800s and continues to be practiced today.  This example shows wonderful animation and classic patinaed bronze coloration such as one would expect on an exterior statue, mounted to an intricately veined piece of onyx.  A silver plaque features the hand-engraved title in French ~ Le Lievre et La Tortue.  Charming!
Circa 1890s
Measures 3.5H x 8W x 5.5D