A Patinated Bronze Figure of an Eagle

A late nineteenth- or early twentieth-century patinated bronze study of an eagle, cast in the vigorous tradition of the French animalier school. The raptor is captured mid-alighting atop an irregular, craggy outcrop, its broad wings outspread and individual flight feathers clearly delineated. The head is thrust forward and angled downward, displaying a curved beak and alert profile.

Cast in solid bronze using lost-wax or piece-mould techniques, the sculpture exhibits hand-chasing across the plumage and rough-hewn stone base. The surface is finished in a uniform, deep brown-black chemical patina, showing gentle natural wear to the highest points of the wings and head. Such animalier studies gained widespread currency throughout the late Victorian and Belle Époque periods, favoured for library desks and chimneypieces.