Biography
Gaston d'Illiers devoted all his life to his two passions: horses and sculpture. He was a very fine rider and showed a deep knowledge of horses. He decided to become a sculptor and took to modelling horses.
His statues were very appreciated from the start. He showed his productions in specialised exhibitions like "salon des artistes français" from 1899 to his death. He gained quite a reputation among horse experts and art connoisseurs. For example during his life the statue avant la course (before the race) was often given as a prize to the winner of a horse race or jumping.
His private life was quiet. He was a count and spent all his life in the centre of France, in Orléans and Olivet.
He often went hunting on horseback with friends in the woods nearby (Orleans forest, Sologne), and some of his works are related to hunting : le piqueux, la curée, retour de chasse...
He went twice on trips to Algeria in 1899 and 1910, and these trips gave him inspiration for some works which are still very appreciated: jument arabe, fauconniers, fantasia...
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