拍品专文
William Hunt Diederich's fascination with animals, which remained strong throughout his career, developed from his childhood encounters with the horses, stags and exotic hounds that inhabited his family's estate in Hungary. In their shape and distinct physical attributes, the artist found a form analagous to his governing aesthetic philosophy, declaring, "Animals seem to me truly plastic. They possess such supple, unspoiled rhythm." (as quoted in C. Brinton, Catalogue of the First American Exhibition of Sculpture by Hunt Diederich, exhibiton catalogue, New York, 1920, n.p.) After two years of studying sculpture at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Diederich traveled throughout Europe with Paul Manship, immersing himself in the extensive collections of Renaissance and Baroque sculpture. The craftsmanship of the iron and bronze works, coupled with the historic pieces that combined form and function, had a profound impact on Diederich's career. The graceful lines, fluid movements and inherent nobility and power of the animals that captured Diederich's attention at a young age, and as demonstrated in the present work, inspired Diederich's unique style that resulted in a broad range of exquisite objects, sculpture and works on paper.