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Auguste Cain was born
on Nov 10, 1821 in Paris France. Cain grew up working in
his father’s butchery before he began his art studies.
Under the instruction of Alexandre Guionnet, an animal
sculptor whose medium of choice was wood, he began
creating his sculptures.
Cain didn’t limit his work to sculpting. He actually
went through training in Paris in the Jardin des Plantes
where he worked on drawing the animals. In the 1850’s,
he worked for goldsmiths and made models for jewelers.
He exhibited his sculptures at the Salon from 1846 on.
He won medals for his work in 1851, 1863, and at the
Exposition Universelle in Paris in 1867.
Most of his pieces were of animals, and they showed a
similar theme of being very small in scale. He continued
to exhibit and finally went into partnership with
Pierre-Jules Mene. He became extremely close with the
family both personally and professionally, and he even
went on to marry Mene’s daughter in 1852.
Although Mene may have been the more well known of the
two, Cain was an impressive artist in his own right.
After his father in law died, Cain went on to cast his
father’s works at their foundry. He also cast many of
his own impressive works in bronze. |
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Although his
subject of choice continued to be animals, he also made
objects that featured animal themes such as cigarette
cases, ashtrays, or candlesticks with animal accents.
His best known work is probably the statue of Duke
Charles of Brunswick in Geneva. It is among the many
wonderful pieces Cain would leave behind after his death
in 1894.
Pieces of his work have found their way into the United
States although he was most popular in the British
market. His work is valued for its excellent
craftsmanship and attention to detail. |
