Pierre-Jules Mêne (1810-1879)

Pierre-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 cap in hand. Mêne's inspiration was no doubt the historical revival of the Louis XV style fashionable during the 1860s.