Loet Vanderveen
(Dutch, 1921-2015)

"Big Horn"

patinated and polished bronze
incised signature, copyright-marked and numbered "101/500" on belly.
h. 13-1/2", w. 20-1/2", d. 6-1/2"

Provenance: Purchased from the artist; Private Midwestern collection.

Notes: One of the most accomplished modern animalier artists, Loet Vandeerveen's sculptures reveal an acute attention to detail and an inherent sympathy with the subjects. Growing up in Rotterdam, the young Vanderveen would visit the local zoo almost daily, eventually earning the trust and respect of the zookeepers, who soon gave the young boy nearly unlimited access to the animals. After bombing during WWII destroyed the city, the suddenly orphaned Vanderveen escaped to Belgium, joined the Dutch army, and ultimately made his way to the US. Vanderveen worked for years drawing sketches for fashion designers before turning to sculpture. His earliest animal figures were ceramic; after a fire destroyed his house and studio in 1985, he began to produce works in bronze, employing the time-consuming and arduous lost wax technique. Vanderveen's menagerie of animals, with their rich patinas and highly polished surfaces, run the gamut from the expected and easily recognizable to the more exotic.
His works are in numerous permanent collections including the Cincinnati Art Museum; DeYoung Museum, San Francisco; Minneapolis Art Institute; Museum of Contemporary Crafts, New York; and the Pasadena Art Museum.

In overall very good condition with a few scattered faint abrasions. Any variation in patination is intentional and innate to process.