Emmanuel Frémiet (1824-1910)
Emmanuel Frémiet was born in Paris, France. Frémiet was both a nephew and pupil of Sophie Frémiet, and later studied under her husband, François Rude. He primarily focused on animal sculpture, beginning his career in scientific lithography, particularly in osteology. During challenging times, he even worked as a painter at the morgue. His first submission to the Salon was a study of a gazelle in 1843, and he quickly established a prolific output.
In the 1850s, Frémiet produced numerous works related to Napoleon, first exhibiting at the Paris Salon at age nineteen with a sculpture of an Algerian gazelle. In 1853, he showcased bronze sculptures of Napoleon III’s basset hounds, establishing himself as “the leading sculptor of animals of his time.” His works “Wounded Bear” and “Wounded Dog,” created in 1850, were acquired by the Luxembourg Museum, marking a significant milestone in his career. Between 1855 and 1859, he worked on a series of military statuettes for Napoleon III, although none have survived.
French Dog Bronze by Emmanuel Fremiet sold by Jacksons Antique
He created the equestrian statue of Napoleon I in 1868 and another of Louis d’Orleans in 1869 at Château de Pierrefonds. His iconic equestrian statue of Joan of Arc, installed in Place des Pyramides, was completed in 1874 and later replaced with a revised version in 1889. During this time, he also crafted “Pan and the Bear Cubs,” which was acquired by the Luxembourg Museum and is now housed in the Musée d’Orsay.
In 1887, he exhibited “Gorilla Carrying off a Woman,” which earned him a medal of honor at the Salon. This sculpture, depicting a large primate with a spear wound carrying a living female victim, stirred controversy among critics but is now considered one of his most significant works.
He also created “Ourang-Outangs and Borneo Savage” in 1895 for the Paris Museum of Natural History. Other notable works include the statue of St. Michael for the spire of Église St. Michel and the equestrian statue of Velasquez for the Jardin de l’Infante at the Louvre. Recognized as an Officer of the French Legion of Honor in 1878, he became a member of the Académie des Beaux-Arts in 1892 and succeeded Antoine-Louis Barye as a professor of animal drawing at the Natural History Museum of Paris.
Frémiet passed away on September 10th, 1910 in Paris, France and was laid to rest in the Cimetière de Louveciennes.
