"EQUUS"-Bronze Sculptures- for a lifetime and beyond

Timeless and true, bronze sculpture has been the medium of choice for masterworks throughout the ages.
Mankind has created artistic images of the world around him ever since the beginning of recorded history. This art form was lost for centuries but during the Renaissance period bronze
sculptures again came to the forefront of art.
Bronze, the most enduring of metals is the greatest test of the sculptor's skill, utterly demanding of the artist's time, talent and dedication.
Elegant yet anatomically precise, "EQUUS"-museum quality bronzes unforgettably capture the strength and very spirit of the horse in molten metal.
"EQUUS"-bronze sculptures are produced using the classic "lost wax" method, a process virtually unchanged for hundreds of years.
>>Details of this fascinating process.

Latest limited edition bronze: "Favourite"
Please click the image to view details of this stunning bronze.

Describtion:

Limited edition of 9.
Title: "Favorite"
Size: 48 cm (length) by 30 cm (height) by 9 cm
Weight: 10 kg
This magnificently executed bronze of a race horse with jockey is finished with a lightly red patina. The signature of "H. Jaunegg" is on the base and in script. Alternatively this work is available finished in a rich brown or green patina.
Two threads on the bottom side allow mounting this heavy bronze on a wooden or marble base.
Price: € 1950

Commissioning a bronze :

Though it is always preferable for me to see and photograph the horse myself, when that is not possible an excellent likeness can also be created from photos and videos provided by the client.

After deciding on the pose and size of the piece, I will begin work on the clay or wax model. This usually takes from three to four weeks, depending again on size and complexity. After approval by the client, where little changes can be made, the clay model is sent to the foundry, where a mold is made and the bronze or bronzes cast. This phase will take an additional month. Generally speaking, the client can expect to have the finished sculpture two to three months from when work was begun.

The Lost Wax Method of Casting Bronze

Step 1:
The Original Work of Art

I begin each portrait bronze with an in-depth study of the individual subject's particular anatomy, proportion, way of moving and individual personality. Once a pose has been selected an armature is constructed.

Wood, clay, stone or other metals are preferred by most artists; however, I work in wax. After many hours of labor the armature is, not only totally covered and hidden by the sculpted clay or wax, the completed soft clay also becomes a successful portrait of your special horse! Next the model is sent to the foundry. > On the right side: The wax model

Step 2:
The mold
In the lost wax process of bronze casting, the artist's model is used to make a multi segmented mold of silicon.
The mold is a perfect negative of the original work and this mold making process usually damages the original model, sometimes destroying it entirely.

Step 3:
The wax modell
Melted wax is poured into the mold and swirled around making a thin impression of the sculpture. The mold is then separated leaving a positive wax model of the sculpture.
I now touch up this wax blank, adding additional detail or even changing the model. Spues and vents of wax are attached to the wax model to allow for the smooth flow of the molten bronze and for gases to escape.

Step 4:
Solid Investment
The original wax work, with the sprue system added is put into a cylinder and mold material (plaster, sand & water) is poured around this unique wax.

Step 5: Burn Out At this point the mold is heated in a kiln to approximately 900 degrees Fahrenheit and the wax is melted out of the mold through vent holes. This part of the process gives the name to the entire production, i.e. cire perdue or lost wax. Once the wax has evacuated the mold it is now ready to receive the molten bronze.

Step 6:
Devestment

Once the molten metal has had a chance to cool and return to a solid state the work is devested of the mold. This is usually done with the aid of hammers and pneumatic tools. The gating system is then cut from the work. After removing as much of the mold as possible the sculpture is then sandblasted before it is sent to the metal shop.

Step 7:
Metal Work (Welding, Chasing, Fabrication)
Large works are cast in sections and must be welded back together. Smaller works may also have plugs, i.e. sections that were removed and cast separately. The sections are welded together and the seams are chased with grinders. Once the work is welded and chased it is given a final sandblast to clean the entire surface so that it will accept the patina.

Step 8:
Patina/Caring for a Bronze Sculpture
Patination is the process of applying chemicals to the surface of the bronze, which will oxidize with the metal and change its color. The patination process also enhances the ability of the sculpture to sustain the elements once it is placed out of doors. Bronze sculptures are waxed after the patina has been added. It is recommended that if a bronze sculpture is kept out of doors it should be carefully cleaned and waxed at least once a year.