Auguste Cain
Illustration — Portrait of Auguste Cain by Léon Bonnat (detail) • Illustration — Le Lion de Nubie et sa Proie, by Auguste Cain (Jardin du Luxembourg) Auguste Nicolas Caïn (10 November 1821 – 6 August 1894) was a French sculptor in the Animaliers school, known for his portrayals of wild and domesticated animals.
Also recorded as Auguste-Nicolas Cain
Auguste Cain

Léon Bonnat · Public domain
- Born
- Auguste Cain was born on 10 November 1821.
- Died
- Auguste Cain died on 6 August 1894.
- Nationality
- France
- Occupation
- sculptor · medalist
- Known for
- Tiger Bringing a Peacock to Her Litter · Lion and Lioness Fighting over a Boar · Lion & Lioness in the City Garden and Odesa
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Documentary summary
Illustration — Portrait of Auguste Cain by Léon Bonnat (detail) • Illustration — Le Lion de Nubie et sa Proie, by Auguste Cain (Jardin du Luxembourg) Auguste Nicolas Caïn (10 November 1821 – 6 August 1894) was a French sculptor in the Animaliers school, known for his portrayals of wild and domesticated animals.
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Authority files
wikidata · Q766022 · wikipedia · Auguste Cain
In this article
Life
Life
Caïn was born in Paris, and studied under Rude, Guionnet, and Pierre-Jules Mêne (whose daughter he married in 1852). His first exhibit in the Salon of 1846 was a wax model of a linnet defending her nest from a rat, later cast in bronze and shown at the 1855 Salon. Between 1846 and 1888, Caïn exhibited 38 models at the Salon. From 1868 onwards he concentrated on monuments, including the Chiens de meute at the Château de Chantilly, Le Lion de Nubie et sa proie in the Jardin du Luxembourg, and Tigress and Peacock in the Gardens of the Tuileries. In 1879 he assumed management of his father-in-law's foundry upon Mêne's death. Henri Caïn, a well known librettist, and Georges Cain, the painter, were his sons.
Selected works
Selected works
• Tigre terrassant un crocodile, bronze (1873), jardin des Tuileries. • Lion et lionne se disputant un sanglier, bronze, jardin des Tuileries. Another copy was installed at Jarmers Plads in Copenhagen in 1889. • Deux lionnes attaquant un taureau, bronze, 1882, jardin des Tuileries • Tigresse apportant un paon à ses petits, bronze (1873), jardin des Tuileries (Copy, perhaps original in Central Park, New York City, with donor's copy in Kelvingrove Park, Glasgow). • Lionnes du Sahara, bronze (1867), deux exemplaires qui ornent la Porte des lions coté Nord de l'aile de Flore, le coté Sud arbore lui les Lions assis de Barye. • La Tigresse Furieuse, bronze (1863) cadeau au Préfet de Tlemcen... Algerie (1866) • Le Lion de Nubie et sa proie, bronze (1870), jardin du Luxembourg.
Photos
Photos
• Illustration — Deux lionnes attaquant un Taureau • Illustration — Tigre terrassant un crocodile • Illustration — Le Lion de Nubie et sa Proie • Illustration — Lion et Sanglier
Identity and origins
Identity and origins
Auguste Cain was recorded at birth as Auguste Nicolas Cain. The authorities additionally record the heading Auguste-Nicolas Cain. His recorded language was French. He married Julie Mêne. 2 children are recorded: Georges Cain and Henri Caïn. Other recorded relations include Pierre-Jules Mêne.
Identity
Identity
Auguste Cain is recorded with the occupation sculptor. Recorded as sculptor and medalist.

Auguste Cain, Auguste-Nicolas Cain, French Cock Crowing, model c. 1860-1894, cast possibly 1890s-c., 1914
Auguste-Nicolas Cain · This file was donated to Wikimedia Commons as part of a project by the National Gallery of Art. Please see the Gallery's Open Access Policy.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
Explore 1821–1894
The full dated record · 4 entries
1821
Auguste Cain born at former 5th arrondissement of Paris.
1870
Le Lion de Nubie et sa proie is dated 1870.
1883
Hotchkiss hood ornaments (Rooster) is dated 1883.
1894
Auguste Cain died at rue Yves-Toudic.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
Auguste Cain was born at former 5th arrondissement of Paris.
Birthplace
Auguste Cain died at rue Yves-Toudic.
Deathplace
Primary material
Documents and archives
Institutional database
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q766022: Auguste Cain
Scholarly · Wikimedia Foundation
reference work
- “Auguste Cain”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
Literature
• Les Animaliers, Jane Horsell, 1971. • The Animaliers, James Mackay, 1973. • Animals in Bronze, Christopher Payne, 1986. • Bronzes of the 19th Century, Pierre Kjellberg, 1994. • A Concise History of Bronzes, George Savage, 1968. • Dictionnaire des Peintres et Sculpteurs, E. Benezit, 1966.) • Dictionnaire de Sculpteurs de l'ecole Francaise, Stanaslas Lami, 1914.
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
Institutional database
Wikidata, structured authority record Q766022: Auguste CainWikimedia Foundation
Verifiedreference work
Partially resolved
Further particulars
Held on the record
Further particulars
Open the remaining particulars
Formation and teaching. He trained under Alexandre Guionnet and François Rude. Each of those relationships is stated by the authority record rather than inferred from style. Work and production. Works recorded as notable number 3: Tiger Bringing a Peacock to Her Litter, Lion and Lioness Fighting over a Boar and Lion & Lioness in the City Garden, Odesa. Cain received Officer of the Legion of Honour and Knight of the Legion of Honour.
Recognition and collections
Work by Auguste Cain is
Condé Museum, Musée d'Orsay, Musée Carnavalet and Centre national des arts plastiques
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Sculpture
6,174 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
- Augusta KaiserArtist
- Augusta SavageArtist
- Auguste ArnaudArtist
- Auguste BaussanArtist
- Auguste CarliArtist
- Auguste ClésingerArtist
- Auguste Marie TaunayArtist
- Auguste OttinArtist
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