Rhinocéros Jacquemart musée d'Orsay RF 3753

''Rhinocéros'' is a 1878 sculpture by

Henri Alfred Jacquemart Henri Alfred Marie Jacquemart () (24 February 1824, in Paris – 4 January 1896, in Paris), often known as Alfred Jacquemart, was a noted French sculptor and animalier. He usually signed his works: ''A. Jacquemart''. Jacquemart studied under pai ...

; a life-sized depiction of a rhinoceros in cast iron. Commissioned to stand outside the Trocadéro Palace for the 1878 Exposition Universelle, it was completed quickly to be ready in time for the opening of the fair. Well received at the time, it was moved in 1935 to allow for the remodelling of the palace and grounds for the 1937

Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques dans la Vie Moderne The ''Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques dans la Vie Moderne'' (International Exposition of Art and Technology in Modern Life) was held from 25 May to 25 November 1937 in Paris, France. Both the Palais de Chaillot, housing the Mus ...

. The sculpture was sited near to the before being acquired by the

Musée d'Orsay The Musée d'Orsay ( , , ) ( en, Orsay Museum) is a museum in Paris, France, on the Left Bank of the Seine. It is housed in the former Gare d'Orsay, a Beaux-Arts railway station built between 1898 and 1900. The museum holds mainly French art ...

in 1985. It now stands in the esplanade in front of the museum, with two other animal statues from the 1878 exposition.

Description

''Rhinocéros'' is a cast iron sculpture of a male

rhinoceros A rhinoceros (; ; ), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. (It can also refer to a member of any of the extinct species o ...

stood on a rock by

. It is sculpted in life-size proportions and measures in height, in width and in length. It is currently located on the esplanade in front of the

, on the

Rive Gauche The Rive Gauche (, ''Left Bank'') is the southern bank of the river Seine in Paris. Here the river flows roughly westward, cutting the city in two parts. When facing downstream, the southern bank is to the left, and the northern bank (or ''Rive D ...

in Paris, France. It is exhibited alongside two other contemporary large cast iron sculptures:

Emmanuel Frémiet Emmanuel Frémiet (6 December 182410 September 1910) was a French sculptor. He is famous for his 1874 sculpture of Joan of Arc in Paris (and its "sister" statues in Philadelphia and Portland, Oregon) and the monument to Ferdinand de Lesseps in S ...

's ''Jeune Éléphant pris au Piège'' ("Young elephant trapped") and

Pierre Louis Rouillard Pierre Louis Rouillard (Paris, 16 January 1820 – Paris, 2 June 1881) was a French sculptor known for his sculptures of animals. He was one of a "school of French '' animalières''", which also included Pierre-Jules Mêne, Antoine-Louis Barye, ...

's ''Cheval à la herse'' ("horse with harrow").

History

The Trocadero, Exposition Universal, 1900, Paris, France

The sculpture was one of four commissioned for the 1878 Exposition Universelle, a

world's fair A world's fair, also known as a universal exhibition or an expo, is a large international exhibition designed to showcase the achievements of nations. These exhibitions vary in character and are held in different parts of the world at a specif ...

held in Paris. Ordered in 1877, the sculptures had to be completed in less time than would usually be allowed due to the opening of the exposition. The sculptor, Jacquemart selected the Nantes foundry of J. Voruz the Elder for the work, which was cast in 1878. The statue was

gilded Gilding is a decorative technique for applying a very thin coating of gold over solid surfaces such as metal (most common), wood, porcelain, or stone. A gilded object is also described as "gilt". Where metal is gilded, the metal below was tradi ...

afterwards. The statue was originally sited near to the Trocadéro Palace, which had been built especially for the exposition. The ''Rhinocéros'' originally stood at one of four corners of a basin near the Trocadéro, which was filled by a waterfall spilling from the rotunda of the palace's concert hall. The other three corners were also occupied by statues: Frémiet's elephant, Rouillard's horse and an ox by

Auguste Cain Auguste Nicolas Caïn (10 November 1821 – 6 August 1894) was a French sculptor in the Animaliers school, known for his portrayals of wild and domesticated animals. Life Caïn was born in Paris, and studied under Rude, Guionnet, and Pier ...

. Contemporary criticism was positive with JH Lamprey, writing in July 1878, praising the technical knowledge demonstrated by Jacquemart and rating the sculpture as one of the best of the works at the exhibition. ''Scribners Monthly'' of June 1879 complimented Jacquemart's attention to detail and modelling skill and wondered how he had made such a large animal decorative. The ''Rhinocéros'' remained at the Trocadéro until 1935 when the palace was remodelled into the

Palais de Chaillot The Palais de Chaillot () is a building at the top of the in the Trocadéro area in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, 16th ''arrondissement'' of Paris, France. For the Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques dans la Vie Moderne (1937) ...

for the 1937

. The statue was relocated to a site near the . It was acquired by the

in 1985 and, after restoration at the Coubertin foundry in

Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse (, literally ''Saint-Rémy near Chevreuse'') is a commune in the Yvelines department, in the Île-de-France region of north-central France. Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse station is the southwestern endpoint of the RER B ...

, was put on display in its current location. The Austrian sculptor

Arnulf Rainer Arnulf Rainer (born 8 December 1929) is an Austrian painter noted for his abstract informal art. Rainer was born in Baden, Austria. During his early years, Rainer was influenced by Surrealism. In 1950, he founded the ''Hundsgruppe'' (''dog gro ...

, writing in 1988, noted that the ''Rhinocéros'' looked as if it was pondering "some collective prehistoric memory".

Gallery

File:Rhinocéros by Alfred Jacquemart, 13 September 2013.jpg, Detail of head File:Rhinocéros by Alfred Jacquemart, Musée d'Orsay, Paris November 1, 2012.jpg, Side view File:Trocadéro Rhinocéros - Ernest Jules Renoux.jpg, Painting by Ernest Jules Renoux in 1922 File:Entrada Louvre - panoramio (3).jpg, In context with Rouillard's horse

References

{{Coord, 48, 51, 37.9, N, 02, 19, 31.7, E, display=title 1878 sculptures Sculptures in Paris Animal sculptures in France Rhinoceroses in popular culture Mammals in art Sculptures of the Musée d'Orsay Relocated buildings and structures Cast-iron sculptures World's fair sculptures Exposition Universelle (1878)