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Rhinoceros

Rhinoceros is a sculpture by Henri-Alfred Jacquemart, created for the 1878 Exposition Universelle in Paris. The work represents a rhinoceros and was part of a group of four monumental cast-iron statues, originally gilded, that surrounded the fountain in front of the Trocadéro Palace, alongside works by Pierre Louis Rouillard, Auguste Cain, and Emmanuel Frémiet. Cast in Nantes at the J. Voruz Aîné foundry, it was dismantled in 1935 when the palace was demolished. The sculpture was then installed in the gardens of the Porte de Saint-Cloud until 1985. Since 1986, it has stood on the forecourt of the Musée d'Orsay in Paris, after restoration by the Coubertin foundry in Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse.

Jacquemart rhinoceros sculpture standing on a rock base outside a museum entrance
The Jacquemart Rhinoceros stands at the entrance to the Musée d\'Orsay in Paris.
January 2010 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
Large rhinoceros sculpture with a textured hide standing on a decorated base outdoors near a stone building.
Rhinoceros sculpture displayed outdoors on a paved plaza, with visitors in the background.
© · CC BY-SA 3.0
Dark rhinoceros sculpture seen from below in front of an ornate building with flags and a glass canopy.
Rhinoceros sculpture by Alfred Jacquemart in front of an ornate historic building.
September 2013 © · CC BY-SA 3.0
Rhinoceros sculpture in profile with the Eiffel Tower in the background
The rhinoceros sculpture is shown in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
© E. Le Deley, editeur · CC0
The Rhinoceros sculpture on a stone pedestal overlooking a park, with the Eiffel Tower faintly visible in the distance.
The Rhinoceros sculpture stands on a pedestal with the Eiffel Tower visible behind it.
March 2020 © · CC BY-SA 4.0

Identification

TitleRhinocéros
Alternative titleIl Rinoceronte
TypeSculpture
SubjectA rhinoceros

Historical context

Other works in groupCheval à la herse by Pierre Louis Rouillard, Taureau by Auguste Cain, and Éléphant pris au piège by Emmanuel Frémiet
Part of groupOne of four monumental animal statues
Commission date1877
Commissioned forthe 1878 Exposition Universelle in Paris

Creator

ArtistHenri-Alfred Jacquemart
Artist nationalityFrench

Physical characteristics

Height2.68 meters
Length2.29 meters
Weight3 tons
Depicted formA life-sized rhinoceros standing on a rock with a prickly pear cactus and other plants growing from the boulder

Materials

MaterialCast iron
Original finishGilded

Discovery and provenance

Acquired bythe Musée d'Orsay in 1985
Original locationAround the fountain in front of the Palais du Trocadéro in Paris, at one of the four corners of the basin
Cast atJ. Voruz Aîné foundry in Nantes

History and restoration

Removed from original location1935, during demolition of the Palais du Trocadéro
Restored1986 by the Coubertin foundry of Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse

Location and ownership

Intermediate locationGardens of the Porte de Saint-Cloud in Paris
Current locationForecourt of the Musée d'Orsay in Paris
Current location since1986
Moved withCheval à la herse and Éléphant pris au piège

Significance

ReceptionWell received by critics at the time
J. H. Lamprey reviewJuly 1878: praised Jacquemart's technical knowledge and called the work one of the best at the exhibition
Scribner's Monthly reviewJune/July 1879: praised Jacquemart's attention to detail and modelling skill
Arnulf Rainer comment1988: said the Rhinoceros looked as if it was pondering "some collective prehistoric memory"