Antique French Sevres Terracotta Ceramic Monkey Snail Animalier Statue Sculpture by Emmanuel Fremiet, 1905

A finely detailed antique French terracotta monkey statue by the French sculptor Emmanuel Frémiet (1824–1910), signed and dated 1905. This whimsical and humorous sculpture depicts a realistic monkey sitting with the right leg stretched long and his fingers studying a spot on its body, whilst eyeing a small snail crawling towards him. The monkey is sitting on a patch of leaves and grass with its relaxed tail flush to the ground. The animal is beige in color with some variations in tone emphasizing textural difference in the animal's fur, the sculpture is signed lower left "E. Frémiet" and is also stamped with a triangle mark for Sevres Porcelain factory and dated 1905, this stamp is repeated to the underside. This statue extols the virtues of the French Animalier school, and was created by one of the greatest sculptors of the French Animalier movement, condition is excellent, this rather whimsical sculpture is ready to grace your space. Artist Biography Emmanuel Frémiet (1824–1910) was a leading French sculptor best known for his mastery of animal and monumental historical subjects. He was born in Paris, and was the nephew and pupil of the famous sculptor François Rude. To achieve his signature realism, he spent years studying animal anatomy at the "Jardin des Plantes" and even worked as a painter for the morgue to master human musculature. He was a towering figure in the French "Animalier" Movement: Along with Antoine-Louis Barye, Frémiet is considered a pioneer of the Animalier movement, making highly detailed animal sculptures fashionable for collectors. Unlike some of his contemporaries who focused on "vicious" nature, his works often featured a soft, gentle, or even amusing quality, like this subject. In 1875, he succeeded Barye as the Professor of Drawing at the Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle. These are just a few of his iconic public commissions: Joan of Arc (1874): His gilded equestrian statue in Paris is one of the city's most recognizable landmarks. Saint Michael (1897): this monumental bronze figure is atop the spire of Mont Saint-Michel. His Gorilla Carrying Off a Woman (1887) caused a sensation for its dramatic and controversial narrative. Frémiet was extremely prolific, winning numerous awards and state commissions that placed his works in prominent public squares and major museums like the Musée d'Orsay.