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In affiliation with Keeneland and Cross Gate Gallery November 19, 2014 Keeneland Race CourseIllustrated Catalogues Available
Isidore Jules Bonheur (French, 1827-1901), Offered here is one of the truly exceptional works in the entire catalogue of Bonheur’s work. One of only two known examples of this subject in this size, it is a very rare piece and quite possibly the only one that will ever be available on the market again. Bonheur first exhibited the work at the 1857 Paris Salon, again at the Exposition Universelle in 1900. It was exhibited in America at the International Exhibition in St. Louis in 1904. It was purchased by a group of traders and loaned to the Luncheon Club of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). Prominently displayed on the seventh floor of 11 Wall Street. The Luncheon Club itself had been a Wall Street fixture since 1898 until it was forced to close its doors in 2006. The New York Times described the club as “where Wall Street meets to eat.” Every day superstitious traders would rub the bull on the horns and genitals for luck, so much so that the patina in those areas differed from the rest of the bronze. After the close of the club, LaBranche & Co., one of the oldest fixtures on the NYSE, reportedly acquired the bronze for $2 to 3 million, according to sources close to the deal. It is currently on loan to the American Museum of Finance where it can be seen on display today. This being the only other known casting this size was produced during his lifetime and is inscribed with the PEYROL foundry stamp. The Sporting Art Auction |
