Skip to main content
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 15

Carl Milles Wild Boar Bronze Sculpture

About the Item

After Carl Milles (1875-1955). Bronze sculpture of a wild boar. Foundry mark of Christian Maas. Conceived in 1929 for Lord Melchett's home Melchet Court in Hampshire. Excellent condition. Carl Milles great international breakthrough as a sculptor was the significant exhibition where a selection of his works of art was displayed at the Tate Gallery in London in early 1927. The exhibition was an immediate success and suddenly Milles was a name “on everyone’s lips” among the society in London. He became acquainted with the world-famous author George Bernard Shaw who became enormously fond of Milles artwork and declared when he saw the exhibition "That's the real stuff". Shaw offered to help Milles by joining the committee for the Swedenborg Monument, which was to be built in London, thereby creating increased public interest. The attention also led to a series of invitations and soon several orders for his artwork. One of the delighted visitors of the exhibition was the wealthy Lord Melchett who soon invited the artist to his home Melchet Court in Hampshire. Lord Melchett, who was just renovating his estate, had two large wild boars in bronze ordered for the stairs at the garden of Melchet Court. The magnificent pair of wild boars was completed in 1929 and Milles had been inspired by the famous fountain sculpture Il Porcellino from the early 17th century in Florence. The order of this artwork could hardly have suited Milles better as he was very interested in sculpting large heavy animals such as bears, elephants and wild boars. His sculptures where also often inspired by Ancient Antique mythology and the wild boar is an animal that often appears in the Greek antique stories. Lord Melchett's pair of wild boars were later bought by the Crown Prince of Sweden, later King Gustav VI Adolf, and since 1937 they have been placed in the royal park at Ulriksdal castle outside of Stockholm. In a letter to Milles the same year, the Crown Prince wrote: “The two wild boar in bronze, which You made for Lord Melchett, came on the market in connection with the sale of Melchet Court. They were offered to me and I have now acquired them and placed them in the park of Ulriksdal, where they, I think, look really great. ” Born in Uppsala, Sweden, Carl Milles, whose original surname was Anderson, was a sculptor in the classical style of figures and monuments and was a long-time professor of sculpture at the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. Many of his works are in that museum. He first studied sculpture at the Technical School in Stockholm, and then attended the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, Paris and worked in Rodin's sculpture atelier. Before coming to America in 1929, he was "recognized as Sweden's leading sculptor" and was also a professor of modeling at the Royal Academy of Stockholm. However, his unique, flamboyant style offended many persons, which led to his emigration. In 1945, he became a United States citizen. He did over a hundred public works, mostly in bronze and received many honors including the French Legion of Honor and many honorary doctorates from American and European universities. One of his pieces, Man and Nature, was installed in 1937 in New York City at One Rockefeller Center in the main lobby on the west wall. It is composed of huge blocks of carved Michigan pine, pressed together with glue under tremendous pressure. The work was made at Cranbrook Academy with his students participating in the project. An accompanying silver bird was made in the Cranbrook jewelry studio. Other venues for installed works by Milles are the City Hall of St. Paul, Minnesota; fountains in St. Louis and Chicago; and a monument in Wilmington, Delaware. In the 1950s, he returned to Sweden and established the Milles Gardens as a museum for his own work. Memberships in the United States include the National Sculpture Society and the National Institute of Arts and Letters.
  • Creator:
    Christian Maas (Maker),Carl Milles (Sculptor)
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 7.29 in (18.5 cm)Width: 7.49 in (19 cm)Depth: 3.55 in (9 cm)
  • Style:
    Art Deco (Of the Period)
  • Materials and Techniques:
    Bronze,Cast,Patinated
  • Place of Origin:
  • Period:
  • Date of Manufacture:
    Unknown
  • Condition:
    Wear consistent with age and use.
  • Seller Location:
    Malmö, SE
  • Reference Number:
    Seller: 2381stDibs: LU8317239857932

More From This Seller

View All
Carl Milles Horse's Head Bronze Sculpture
By Carl Milles
Located in Malmö, SE
Carl Milles (1875-1955), after, bronze sculpture of a horse's head. Marked Millesgården. Great condition. Born in Uppsala, Sweden, Carl Milles, whose origi...
Category

Vintage 1920s Swedish Art Deco Animal Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Carl Milles Bronze Sculpture of Fishes
By Carl Milles
Located in Malmö, SE
Carl Milles (1875-1955), after, bronze sculpture of three fishes. Marked Millesgården. Great condition. Born in Uppsala, Sweden, Carl Milles, whose origina...
Category

Early 20th Century Swedish Art Deco Animal Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Rare Swedish Grace Bronze Sculpture. Sweden, 1930s.
By Carl I.E.C. Rasmussen, Herman Bergman, Carl Milles
Located in Malmö, SE
Beautifully sculpted, cast and finished, this 1920s Swedish Grace relief sculpture is made from bronze and has an amazing patina. It was made in Sweden by an unknown artist. Art Deco...
Category

Vintage 1930s Swedish Art Deco Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Stoneware Fish Sculpture by Carl-Harry Stalhane, Sweden, 1970s
By Carl-Harry Stålhane
Located in Malmö, SE
A rare and beautiful stoneware fish sculpture with amazing glaze, on a wooden base. Made by Carl-Harry Stålhane in his own studio in Lidköping, Sweden, 1970s. Excellent condition. S...
Category

Mid-20th Century Swedish Mid-Century Modern Animal Sculptures

Materials

Stoneware, Wood

Enamel Sculpture / Painting by Stig Lindberg, Gustavsberg Studio, Sweden, 1950s
By Stig Lindberg, Gustavsberg
Located in Malmö, SE
A beautiful and rare enamel sculpture / painting. Made by Stig Lindberg in Gustavsberg Studio, Sweden, 1950s. Excellent condition. In 1949, Stig painted his first enamel painting o...
Category

Mid-20th Century Swedish Mid-Century Modern Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Enamel, Steel

Mid-century Brutalist Iron Fire Screen by Olle Hermansson for Husqvarna, Sweden
By Husqvarna, Olle Hermansson
Located in Malmö, SE
Amazing cast iron midcentury sculpture / fireplace screen. Designed by Olle Hermansson for Husqvarna, Sweden 1960s. Great original condition with signs of use and age. Stamped 'OH'...
Category

Vintage 1960s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Iron

You May Also Like

Bronze Sculpture , Hunting Dogs Assaulting the Wild Boar.
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
" Bronze Sculpture , Hunting Dogs Assaulting the Wild Boar. " Bronze sculpture in the Napoleon III style, 20th century, the hunting dogs attacking the wild boar, green patina. H: 33...
Category

20th Century French Napoleon III Animal Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Antique Wild Boar Sculpture in Bronze, France, 1920s
Located in Esbjerg, DK
Small desk og mantle bronze depicting a young wild boar standing on a log. Fine detailing and a rich golden patina. Signed/marked France to its base. Where it was made circa 1920-25....
Category

Vintage 1920s French Late Victorian Animal Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Pair of Antique Bronze Sculpture Paperweights Wounded Stag and Wild Boar
Located in Shippensburg, PA
Pair of figural bronze paperweights over cararra marble bases. circa early 19th century; models of "Il Porcellino" and "Wounded Stag" Item # C104009 A superb pair of 19th century p...
Category

Antique Early 19th Century Paperweights

Materials

Carrara Marble, Bronze

Rare French Antique Bronze Sculpture “Wild Boar Hunt” by Auguste Lechesne
Located in Shippensburg, PA
AUGUSTE-JEAN-BAPTISTE LECHESNE French, 1815-1888 "Chasse au Sanglier" [The Wild Boar Hunt] Patinated sand-cast bronze Signed along front edge "AUGUST...
Category

Antique 19th Century French Romantic Animal Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Vintage Art Deco "The Wild Boar" Sculpture signed " LONGWY "
By Faïenceries et Emaux de Longwy
Located in Beirut, LB
"Le Sanglier" The wild boar. Subject in molded crackled white ceramic. Stamped on the bottom "LONGWY" A beautiful glossy, glazed white ceramic and is sure to give a certain cachet a...
Category

Mid-20th Century French Art Deco Animal Sculptures

Materials

Ceramic

Antique Wild boar Trophies
Located in Denton, TX
Nice pair of wild boar Trophy mounted on gilt washed brass as Trophies, very ornate with a crown at the top of each mount. Very good condition and ready f...
Category

Antique Late 19th Century British Late Victorian Animal Sculptures

Materials

Metal

Antique Wild boar Trophies
$1,200 Sale Price / set
20% Off

Recently Viewed

View All