Christophe Fratin
French, 1801–1864
Tiger Attacking a Young Camel, 1845
Cast bronze
H. 7 9/16 in. x W. 9 in. x
L. 15 15/16 in.
IUAM 94.75

Fratin was one of the first of the French sculptors, along with Antoine-Louis Barye, to successfully portray animals in bronze. As a boy in Metz, France, Fratin helped his father with his taxidermy business. This early experience greatly enhanced his understanding of animal anatomy. Fratin first studied sculpture under Pioche in Metz, then moved to Paris, where he worked in the studio of painter and sculptor Theodore Gericault. Fratin became a regular exhibitor at the Paris Salon from 1831 to 1842 and from 1850 to 1862, and he won a medal at the Great Exhibition in London in 1851.

Fratin’s dramatic compositions have been called “highly romantic.” Although he understood anatomy, he endeavored to show an animal in its natural environment without the dramatic and sometimes violent treatment found in Barye’s work. He excelled at portraying his subjects in normal activities such as eating, and his ability to depict an animal in full flight or at the exact moment of its capture by a predator was unmatched by any artist before or since his time.

This animal group was shown for the first time at the Paris Salon of 1834 as a plaster model, and was cast as an edition at a later date. This was a common practice for Fratin, who did not own his own foundry and had to make arrangements with an independent shop to have his work cast. As a result, there are not many Fratin bronze editions in existence.