Edward Kemeys

Private Collection, New York

Generally in good condition
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The present work is a statuette version of the well-known Central Park sculpture Still Hunt, by early American animalier sculptor Edward Kemeys. 

Kemeys, raised in New York, served as a Captain in the Union Army during the Civil War, before joining workers in the construction of Central Park in 1868.  Initially inspired by his observation of animals at the Central Park Zoo, as well as artists sketching and modeling them, Kemeys decided to undertake a career in the arts.  His first major success came in 1872, in the form of Hudson Bay Wolves Quarreling over the Carcass of a Deer, now located at the Philadelphia Zoo.  With the funds he received from this commission, the burgeoning sculptor headed into the Western United States in search of further inspiration.

In 1877, he traveled to Europe to showcase his abilities as a sculptor, and experienced considerable success, with a solo exhibition in London and a plaster model, Buffalo and Wolves, being included in the Paris Salon of 1878.  Kemeys undoubtedly came into contact with, and was inspired by, the work of noted French animalier master Antoine-Louis Bayre during this time.

Upon his return to America, Kemeys undertook Still Hunt and, with the help of a public fundraising campaign, the large-scale bronze sculpture was unveiled in 1883 on East Drive, near 76^th Street.  The public sculpture, as well as the present lot, portrayed a North American cougar, out on the edge of a rock outcrop, poised, patiently waiting, silently, for unsuspecting prey.