Original works of art

Perhaps no other French Animalier is more closely associated with the depiction of dogs however, than Pierre Jules Mène. His charming depictions of Setters, Pointers, Italian Greyhounds and Toy Spaniels are virtually synonymous with the term “animalier,” and they continue to be popular today.

The son of a metal turner, Mène was born in Paris, and by the time he was 22 years old, he was making models for use in the manufacture of porcelain. He worked under the sculptor, René Compaire, and like Barye, he studied animal structure and anatomy at the Jardin des Plantes. Achieving success at an early age, he exhibited at the Salon for the first time in 1838, where he was a regular exhibitor for all of his life. In 1861, he received the prestigious Cross of the Legion of Honour.

Méne was both successful and resourceful, operating his own foundry for a time with his son-in-law the sculptor, Auguste Cain. He was one of the most prolific and successful animal sculptors of his time. Examples of his work may be seen in the Louvre as well as other French Museums, and he was widely collected in England, continental Europe and America. He exhibited in London at The Great Exhibition in 1851 and 1862. He produced his own catalogue from his home on No. 9, rue de l’Entrepot, where he lived from 1857 onwards.

While Barye might be considered a romantic, Méne was more of a Realist, with many portraits of specific animals. He appears to have been influenced by Landseer, from whom he got an anecdotal quality. His dog subjects tell a story with what appears to be minimal effort, with a charming, domestic quality, which is related more to the painting of his day than other animalier sculptors.