by William A. Gage, Department Head

Paul Howard Manship (December 24, 1885–January 28, 1966) was born and raised in St. Paul, Minnesota. He was an American sculptor who for 30 years beginning after World War I was considered one of America’s premier sculptors. It was during this period in 1934 he was commissioned to design what was to be the most famous and recognizable sculpture of his career. It was the monumental gilded bronze Prometheus fountain at Rockefeller Plaza in New York City.

Also during this time he was commissioned by Thomas Cochran, Jr. (1871-1936) of St Paul, Minnesota to design Indian Hunter and His Dog (1926). He was very fond of this commission as it brought him back to his boyhood memories in St. Paul. The large sculpture was the centerpiece of Cochran Park, a small triangular piece of land in the Ramsey Hill neighborhood of the city.
There were 12 smaller versions executed and most are in museums and institutions. Few have come to the market and this may be the last available at auction for many years to come.

This sculpture shows a young Native American hunter at stride readying his bow and arrow with his dog alongside. The animated pose of both the dog and hunter evoke the excitement of the chase and one gets the impression the dog and hunter are one in the pursuit.

We encourage our clients who live in Maine or are planning a visit that are interested in Paul Manship’s work to visit the Colby College Museum of Art where in the newly installed Lander collection there are 5 examples of Paul Manship’s work including Indian Hunter and His Dog (1926).

James D. Julia, Inc. is proud to offer one of the last available examples of Indian Hunter and His Dog (1926) to the public in our February 2017 auction. Estimate $400,000-600,000.