EMMANUEL FREMIET (1824-1910) Saint Michael the Archangel slaying the dragon

signed ‘E Fremiet’ (on the base); foundry mark ‘F. Barbedienne’ (on the terrace) bronze, cast, gilded, marble base H.: 59 cm, base 15 х 3 cm the end of the 19th century Emmanuel Frémiet exhibited his bronze 'Saint Michel' at the Salon in 1879, and it was a small sculpture editioned by More, depicting the Archangel striking slaying a man-headed serpent. In 1896, the architect Petitgrand, who was in charge of restoring Mont-Saint-Michel, asked Frémiet to enlarge his work in order to place it at the top of Mont-Saint-Michel Abbey. The monumental work, slightly changed, was executed in 1897 by the Monduit company.