19th Century Reclining Greyhound Bronze by Gayrard Paul Adapted as a Table Lamp

Paul Joseph Raymond Gayrard was a distinguished French sculptor and medallist of the nineteenth century. Born in Clermont-Ferrand in 1807, he trained initially under his father, the sculptor Raymond Gayrard, before studying with François Rude and David d’Angers, two of the leading figures of French Romantic sculpture.

Gayrard made his debut at the Paris Salon in 1827 and exhibited there regularly throughout his career, receiving a Second Class Medal in 1834 and First Class Medals in 1846 and 1848. He established a successful practice producing portrait busts, religious commissions and decorative sculpture, earning recognition for the refinement of his modelling and technical excellence.

Although accomplished across a range of sculptural genres, Gayrard is particularly admired for his finely cast bronze animal sculptures. His works demonstrate a keen observation of anatomy and movement, combining naturalism with a subtle sense of character. Among his best-known compositions are Harness Horse, Reclining Deerhound and the celebrated Monkey Steeplechase, examples that reflect the growing nineteenth-century appreciation for animalier sculpture.

Gayrard also executed important public commissions, including the figures of the Four Evangelists for the Basilica of Sainte-Clotilde in Paris. His work is represented in several major museum collections, and his bronzes remain highly regarded by collectors for their quality, elegance and enduring appeal.

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