Pierre Jules Mêne (French, 1810-1879) A patinated bronze figural group 'Groupe chiens en défaut (Valet Louis XV)'Pierre Jules Mêne (French, 1810-1879): A patinated bronze figural group 'Groupe chiens en défaut (Valet Louis XV)'the young royal huntsman holding a tricorn hat in his right hand, his bugle resting on his shoulder, looking down on two hounds below his horse, raised on an oval naturalistic base, signed P. J MÊNE, 42cm high, 46cm wide, 21cm deepPierre-Jules Mêne is perhaps the most famous animalier sculptor after Barye, and his hunting groups are consistently the best among the genre. Number 6 in Mêne's catalogue, Valet de chasse Louis XV is one of four groups by Mêne incorporating a Royal huntsman. The present model differs from the other examples, in that the huntsman is shown gesturing the hounds forward with his hat in hand. Mêne's inspiration was no doubt the historical revival of the Louis XV style fashionable during the 1860s.Literature:M. Poletti & A Richarme, Pierre-Jules Mêne 1810-1879 : Catalogue raisonné., Paris 2007, p.30.