A Family of Foxes
model 1847
Medium
bronze
Dimensions
overall: 17.1 × 30.5 × 16.5 cm (6 3/4 × 12 × 6 1/2 in.)
Classification
Sculpture
Department
CSD
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon
Accession Number
1999.79.16
Art Historical Context
**A Family of Foxes** by Pierre-Jules Mêne, modeled in 1847, is a delightful bronze sculpture measuring 17.1 × 30.5 × 16.5 cm, now housed in the National Gallery of Art's collection, generously gifted by Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon. This intimate table-top piece captures a vixen and her kits in a tender, naturalistic grouping, showcasing Mêne's mastery as a leading French *animalier* sculptor of the 19th century. Working in the Romantic era's spirit, he blended realism with poetic vitality, producing bronzes that appealed to affluent collectors fond of hunting and country life. Mêne's technique ...