Dog Statues Around The World

by Ria Hörter
courtesty of Ton Popelier (expert on French hounds)

Foundry Val d’Osne

The French art foundry Val d’Osne was founded by Jean Pierre Victor André, the inventor of ornamental cast iron, in 1835-36. This invention boosted the production of garden ornaments, fountains, statues in general, and animal statues in particular. Its showroom was at 58 Boulevard Voltaire in Paris.

Over the years, Val d’Osne received many awards, including at the Great Exhibition (Crystal Palace) in London in 1851 (the first World’s Fair), and the Paris Exposition of 1855. In 1879 and 1880, Val d’Osne exhibited a hunting monument at the Sydney and Melbourne International Exhibitions in Australia. Many castings were made of this hunting statue and the monument became known under various names. The French names came first: Le Chausseur et les Chiens (Hunter and Dogs) or Valet au Chiens (The Dogs’ Attendant). In Australia, the name is Huntsman and Dogs; in the U.S., Hunter and Hounds; in Austria, Der Lauscher (TheEaves-dropper); and in The Netherlands, Halali.

Halali

The word “halali” comes from the deer and par force hunt of the Middle Ages – it refers to the sound of the horn letting the hunters know the hunt is over. The name The Eavesdropper refers to the boy who has put his hand behind his ear to listen for the horn blowing. The American title is entirely correct because the dogs are French hounds. The monument’s sculptor was the noted French animalier Henri Alfred Marie Jacquemart (1824-96). He entered the École des Beaux-Arts in 1845, and earned his reputation for his many large animal works. In 1870, Jacquemart became a Chevalier of the Ordre National de la Légion d’Honneur, the highest decoration in France. As well as Le Chausseur et les Chiens, Jacquemart sculpted the group of Spanish breeds in Las Palmas (Canary Islands).

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Posted by Alex on Jan 10 2017. Filed under Current Articles, Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.