Description
Animalia Bronze Sculpture
From our Bronze Sculpture collection, we are delighted to introduce this exceptional Bloodhound Bronze Group by W. Prehn. The Bronze Group of incredible weight is cast upon a squared base as a a recumbent Bloodhound bitch feeding three puppies as a fourth clambers across the mother back and a fifth lays on its back getting cleaned. The dogs lay upon a grassy base with a collar to one side signed by the artist W. Prehn (likely a German, French trained bespoke Artist who turned his hand to sculpture). The Bronze Sculpture stands with incredible stature and thick casting weight with exceptional detail showing the individual details of each dog. The Bloodhound Bronze Group by W. Prehn dates to the second half of the 19th century circa 1860.
After further research into the figure we firmly believe this bloodhound group is most likely a unique piece cast from a terracotta mould and probably purchased by Sir Joseph Edgar Boehm directly from the artist at the academy before Boehm settled in England around 1860. Interestingly we believe the piece to be designed and sculpted by an artist opposed to a bronze sculptor.
Provenance
Previously owned by Sir Joseph Edgar Boehm, 1st Baronet, RA and documented below
Literature
See Catalogue of the Art Treasures Exhibition of North Wales and the Border Counties at Wrexham 1876 page 19 Section E Bronzes Contributed by Mr. J Edgar Boehm Number 264, Bronze group of Bloodhound and puppies by W Prehn.
Sir Joseph Edgar Boehm, 1st Baronet, RA (6 July 1834-12 December 1890)
 was a prominent British sculptor of the Victorian era. Born in Vienna to Hungarian parents, Boehm moved to London in 1862 and quickly established himself as a leading sculptor. He became especially well-known for his portrait busts and public statues. His known works include sculptures of Queen Victoria as Boehms works were highly favored by the royal family, the statue of the Duke of Wellington at Hyde Park Corner, London, the statue of Thomas Carlyle in Chelsea and the bust of Charles Darwin in the Natural History Museum. Boehm was also a trusted sculptor for the British aristocracy and royalty, producing many important commemorative pieces. Boehm was appointed Sculptor in Ordinary to the Queen in 1881, made a baronet in 1889, a rare honour for an artist at the time and elected to the Royal Academy in 1882, demonstrating his significant influence in the art world. Throughout his career Boehm produced well over 50 known sculptures and statues which still reside in the public eye. Boehm’s sudden death in 1890 occurred while he was working on a bust of Queen Victoria. His studio at the time of his death was in Buckingham Palace, showcasing his close ties with the royal family.
BRONZE
is an alloy consisting primarily of copper with approximately 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals, such as phosphorus, or metalloids such as arsenic or silicon depending on the age of the bronze and its origin. The additions of other metals produce a range of alloys that are usually harder than copper alone and carry useful properties such as strength. The earliest known use of bronze dates to the 5th millennium BCE from Iranian plateau, the bronze mix consists of arsenical copper and copper-arsenide. The earliest tin-copper-alloy recovered is dated to circa 4650 BCE and was found in Plocnik, Serbia. It is believed to have been smelted from a natural tin-copper ore.
MEASUREMENTS
17cm High 50cm Wide x 32cm Deep (6.7 x 19.7 x 12.6 Inches)Â
CONDITION
Excellent – original patination with general antique wear
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