Mid 19th Century French Bronze Entitled "Old Man Odry" By Christophe Fratin
London, United Kingdom
£6,136 per item
Shopping at Vinterior
-
14-day return guarantee
-
Outstanding customer service
-
Secure payment
-
Buyer protection
-
Trees planted for every purchase
Item details
Height
17.8 cm
Width
8.6 cm
Depth
7.2 cm
Wear conditions
Good
Wear conditions
Excellent
Shows little to no signs of wear and tear.
Good
May show slight traces of use in keeping with age. Most vintage and antique items fit into this condition.
Average
Likely to show signs of some light scratching and ageing but still remains in a fair condition.
Apparent Wear and Tear
Visible signs of previous use including scratches, chips or stains.
Please refer to condition report, images or make a seller enquiry for additional information.
Description
Exquisite mid 19th century French bronze study of an anthropomorphic bear sitting on a barrel playing a violin, the barrel can be opened halfway to form a container. The surface with excellent mid to dark brown patina and very fine hand chased surface detail, signed Fratin and titled Le Père Odry
Additional Information
Height: 17.8 cm
Width: 8.6 cm
Depth: 7.2 cm
Condition: Excellent Original Condition
Circa: 1845
Materials: Bronze
Book reference: Bronzes of the 19th Century by Pierre Kjellberg
About
Le Père Odry
Le Père Odry is a character in one of Balzac's novels, Unconscious Comedians which is one of the lesser known novels in the series La Comédie Humaine. The novel tells the story of a famous painter who takes his provincial cousin on a trip of Paris to open his eyes to what really goes on in the city behind the respectable façade. Le Père Odry appears in the novel as a dissolute actor.
Christopher Fratin, French 1801 ~ 1864
also known as Christophe Fratin, was a noted French sculptor in the animalier style, and one of the earliest French sculptors to portray animals in bronze. Fratin was born in Metz, Moselle, France the son of a taxidermist. He first studied drawing under Pioche in Metz and later worked in Paris at the studio of Théodore Géricault.
He exhibited at the Paris Salon from 1831–1842 and 1850–1862, as well as at the Great Exhibition in London in 1851. Fratin never signed his bronzes but instead used a stamp showing his last name in straight block letters. One of the stamps he used (pictured) showed the "n" reversed, not by design but due to an error on the part of the maker of the stamp. Bronzes bearing this stamp have the appearance of not seeming to be genuine when in reality this foible is actually an indicator of authenticity.
Fratin received monumental commissions in France and elsewhere, including the Deux Aigles Gardant Leur Proie (Eagles and Prey, created 1850) displayed since 1863 in New York City's Central Park. Many of his small bronzes—including his miniature bronzes which were more affordable due to their smaller size—were sold commercially to the general public during his lifetime. Today, Fratin's sculpture is on permanent display in the Louvre, the city museums of Metz, Lyon, Strasbourg, Nîmes and at the Peabody Institute in Baltimore, Maryland. The Georg Eisler archive in Vienna also has on display works by Fratin.
A number of Fratin's pieces portray horses, especially portraits of famous horses such as Fermer, cheval anglais pur-sang, a wax of which he debuted at the Salon of 1831, the same exhibition in which Barye's Tigre dévorant un gavial was featured.
At Montrouge Square in Paris appears a colossal bronze group standing 2 meters high entitled Cheval attaqué par un lion, executed in 1852. Fratin received many commissions from the State including groups designed for the botanical garden and the esplanade of his hometown; amongst the groups were two dogs, a deer at bay, a purebred horse, and some eagles. He also produced a number of whimsical bear sculptures, including Le Père Odry and Ours jouant de la cornemuse which shows a bear holding a musical instrument.
Condition report:
Excellent. Wear consistent with age and use. Excellent. Excellent Original Condition. Please note that our items are genuine antiques with considerable age. It is therefore normal that they will show some signs of wear and handling to the surface.
Cancellations
We offer free cancellations and full refund for orders cancelled before dispatching. View full policy.
Returns
We have a 14-day return guarantee for orders from individual sellers, within the UK and European Union. View full policy.
Free collection available
Yes
Similar Free Standing
Similar Free Standing
Choose a Wishlist
Create Wishlist
- Ships from London, United Kingdom
Cancellations and Returns
Last updated: 24th March 2025
We want everybody’s Vinterior experience to be seamless, so both buyers and sellers can fall in love with pre-loved. We designed our Terms of sale to treat everybody fairly.
However, sometimes things don’t go exactly to plan, and you may need to cancel or return an order.
To prevent this, we encourage you to check listings, photos and descriptions carefully before you buy. If you aren’t sure about a piece’s condition, size, provenance or shipping, just ask; click Contact seller to get in touch. Always contact your seller first if you have any queries, at any point in your purchase.
Our buyers receive the same protection when buying from all our sellers, both professional and verified.
Can I cancel an order?
There are many reasons why you might need to cancel an order, and you'll often be entitled to a refund. To cancel an order, click Create cancellation on the order page.
If you cancel your order before it has been dispatched, you will receive a full refund - including delivery costs. However, if your item has been shipped, delivery costs will not be included in your refund.
Please note: orders of bespoke, personalised or made-to-order pieces cannot be cancelled.
Can I return an order?
We understand that sometimes a piece isn’t the perfect fit. So if you no longer want your order, our returns process will ensure it finds a new home fast.
The Vinterior Guarantee included with your purchase entitles you to 14-day returns - allowing you to return any item within 14 days of the delivery date (except in specific circumstances, detailed below).
You can return your order if...
It isn't what you expected
If what arrives isn’t what you ordered, you can open a return. Just send us some photo evidence that the listing was inaccurate, misleading or misrepresented your purchased piece, and you’ll receive a refund.
You change your mind
If you don’t feel a piece is right for your space, you can return it. Once you request a change of mind return, you’ll be responsible for shipping the piece back to your seller as soon as possible. Delivery costs are non-refundable.
It's damaged in transit
In the rare event that an item arrives damaged or defective, you have a full 30 days from the date of delivery to return it for a full refund.
If your purchase arrives broken, always let us know. If Proovia delivered the piece, we can raise an insurance claim on the seller’s behalf. Or, the seller can raise a claim with their chosen courier.
What can't I return?
Just as there are some orders you can’t cancel, there are some you cant return, too. Personalised, bespoke or made-to-order pieces are non-returnable, and non-refundable. Sellers may also reject your return if the item has been altered in any way.
Please note: pieces on our site are pre-loved, not new. They may show some wear and tear; this is not sufficient grounds for a refund, unless the seller has misrepresented the item’s condition.
Lastly, neither Vinterior nor our sellers are liable for any damages or loss sustained in transit via third parties.
I'm eligible for a return. Now what?
To initiate a return, log into your Vinterior account, then go to the relevant order page and click Create a return. In the return request, be sure to include all the details: the reason for your return, an in-depth description, and photos of any issues or damage.
How will I receive my refund?
Once the seller confirms they’ve received the item (in the same condition it was sent), we will send your refund to your original payment method.
All items are inspected on return. If the seller receives the return with damage they don’t recognise, we will not be able to process your refund and the seller may need to send the piece back to you. You will be required to cover these delivery costs.
