JANINE JANET (1913-2000)

Mrs. Charles Engelhard was a renowned philanthropist and prominent member of New York society, who regularly made best-dressed lists and was an important presence at social events around Manhattan. A glamorous life shared with her husband, the industrialist Charles W. Engelhard, included involvement in the White House with the Kennedy and Johnson administrations, as well as maintaining homes in Manhattan, Florida, London, Canada and Johannesburg. However, most of the couple's time was spent at Cragwood, their spectacular estate in Far Hills, New Jersey, where they hosted a glamorous group of friends.
The couples refined and stylish collection came to auction at Christie's New York, March 2005 with important French furniture, German porcelain, and magnificent jewelry. It is from this New Jersey estate that the family retained a bronze Janine Janet 'Recumbent Stag' bronze sculpture designed in 1964, initialed 'C.W.E' for Charles W. Engelhard. As an edition 3/10, it is believed Mrs. Engelhard acquired this sculpture for her husband as a gift circa 1964. And that the Engelhard's would be aware and interested in Janine Janet's work is no surprise seeing as being in the fashionable crowd, models of the stag were also in collection of Cristobal Balenciaga.
In the Hubert de Givenchy - Collectionneur: Chefs-d'oeuvre auction at Christie's Paris, 14 June 2022, two models of this bronze edition, with the initials 'CB' for Balenciaga who gifted them to his long time friend and fellow fashion designer, Givenchy, sold (252,000 Euro and 315,000 Euro, respectively).