ARSON, Alphonse-Alexandre
(b. 1822 Paris, d. 1880 Paris)
French sculptor. He started his art career by studying painting but later found that sculpture was his true vocation. Studying sculpture under Joseph Combette (1770-1840), he was introduced to bird subjects and his passion then grew from there.
His very first Salon exhibit was in 1859. Over the next few years, Arson displayed a wide variety of sculptures and pieces at the Salon. Throughout his career, he focused mainly on birds and a few domestic animal subjects. He won various honourable mentions and even won a bronze medal in 1877.
He was known for being a mischievous sculptor, with many of his sculptures being of a humorous nature. He would often combine different animals in groupings and even portray animals engaged in human activities.
