First, an overview of Harde de cerfs:
Appearance Features:
Harde de cerfs not only showcases exquisite sculpting skills but also vividly captures the natural expressions of wild animals. The consists of a family of deer statue: a robust stag, an elegant doe, and a calf nestled beside it. The entire group is closely huddled together, creating an atmosphere of familial intimacy and mutual protection.
Pose and Expression:
This sculpture also has a more complete name, “La Harde de cerfs écoutant le rapproche,” meaning a herd of deer alertly listening to approaching sounds.
The name perfectly captures the dynamism of the sculpture: all three deer are depicted with alert, listening intently, as if sensing nearby movement. The doe’s facial expression, in particular, is exquisitely rendered, capturing her focused and attentive demeanor with remarkable expressiveness.
Material and Size: The main body of the sculpture is cast in bronze using the traditional lost-wax casting technique, ensuring precision in detail and the work’s durability. The sculpture itself is approximately 2.2 meters tall (excluding the stone base), possessing an imposing presence.
Symbolism: This sculpture symbolizes the beauty of nature, familial harmony, strength, and the alertness and vitality of animals in their natural environment.
Secondly, Historical Background:
Creator:
This sculpture was created by the renowned 19th-century French sculptor Arthur Jacques LeDuc (1848-1918). Creation and Exhibition:
Creation and Exhibition:
1885: Louis Le Duc first created a plaster model of the work, which was exhibited at the Paris Salon that year.
October 12, 1885: The French government, through a ministerial decree, acquired the plaster model and commissioned Le Duc to cast it into a bronze sculpture.
1886: The completed bronze sculpture was exhibited again at the Paris Salon that year, as exhibit number 4162.
1889: The sculpture was exhibited at the Paris Exposition Universelle, held to commemorate the centenary of the French Revolution. In the same year, the Eiffel Tower was officially inaugurated as the iconic building of the Exposition.
Installation and Ownership:
After the exhibition, the sculpture became the property of the French Senate. The Senate is located in the Luxembourg Palace (Palais du Luxembourg) within the Luxembourg Gardens.
1891: The sculpture was officially placed at its current location on the south side of the Luxembourg Gardens and has remained there ever since, becoming a beautiful feature of the park.
We have cast a similar Deer family statue for our client. If you would like to commission a custom-made Harde de Cerfs, please feel free to contact us.