"Hunter with Dog"

Sculptor: Paul Scheurich

Year of creation: 1937

Height: 27 cm

Throughout his professional career, Paul Scheurich turned to the subject of time. He actually creates the feeling that next to the clock dial he set figurines that seem to try to stop time, frozen in the languid and relaxing stay. This watch "Hunter with dog" is no exception: we see a gorgeous lady who is resting her elbows on the imposingly round sphere hours after hunting and strokes her dog. Time becomes a subservient concept; it can be stopped.

The female hunter is displayed in a Rococo-style dress, she has a wig on her head, but nevertheless looks absolutely trendy and modern for the early 20^th century: the sleeves are decorated with flounces, she has a coat on the back, open neckline, a petticoat with flounce is peeking from under her dress, a too high raised hemline, denudative legs in stockings, hat slightly to one side, and decorations in the form of a ring and a bracelet. Her free, relaxed, slightly imposing pose and her proudly raised head indicate the high status of the woman.

It is impossible to think of a better artist, who could so masterfully portray a woman, her dignity, grace, elegance, and sexuality, and at the same time also her will, strength and stature.

The dog sitting next to the female hunter is a strong and wiry hunting hound with elongated nose, big eyes, and her ears hanging down. Her whole posture suggests that she gratefully accepts affection from her master, who pats her on the head.

The rigorous Scheurich added very interesting details to this composition, such as Indian flower in the dress of the hunter, a horn that just dropped out of the hands of the lady, and hunter items such as bow and arrows peeking from under the lady’s dress.

One of the earliest portraits of the still young Catherine II, who to until her succession to the throne did not live a day without hunting, is strongly reminiscent of the great masters of this Meissen sculpture. It was painted in 1740 by Georg Christoph Grooth. The graceful Catherine, still very young, already resembles a porcelain doll with her white skin.

It is also possible that a sketch of the ornamental panels of Leon Bakst from 1922 with the same name served as a prototype for the figure to the clock.

After all, his sketches for the ballet "Carnival" were at that time a direct source of inspiration for the creation of the "Russian Ballet" collection at the beginning of the second decade of the 20^th century. Therefore, also a reference to his other work for other sculptors’ works is not excluded.