Jean Clagett has loved horses and other animals her entire life. She is a skilled horsewoman whose love of horses extends across all breeds and disciplines. This rich understanding is reflected in her sculptures, which capture the unique look and spirit of each subject.

Jean competing on "Fine Art"

Jean galloping her mare "Deauville Fille", France.

Jean working on her sculpture of champion reining horse "Lena's Wright On"

Jean Clagett first fell in love with art as a 13-year old, when she visited the Louvre in Paris with her father. The sight of "Winged Victory"—the sculpture of Nike of Samothrace—inspired Clagett to become an artist herself.

In developing her own style, Jean studied the animalier art of Isidore and Rosa Bonheur, a French sculptor and painter respectively, whose works were well-known in 19th century Europe. Jean has been producing her lifelike sculptures for about 15 years, gaining popularity in France where she lived and worked for a number of years, and now building recognition for her studio, Atelier West, here in the United States.

Her commissioned sculptural portraits include such equine greats as Al Capone II, the famous French steeplechaser whose lifesize bronze sculpture is installed at the Auteuil steeplechase racetrack in Paris, Gem Twist, the famous American showjumper and champion reining horse Lena’s Wright On. Her extensive portfolio also includes many other race winners, champion trotters, reining horses, fox hunters and polo ponies.

While much of Jean’s work reflects her lifelong love of horses, she also excels in portraiture and artistic renderings of humans and other animals. Her sculpture entitled "Tom and Lily" joyfully depicts a man pushing his young granddaughter on a swing. Another admired work, her beautiful sculpture of an African giant black sable antelope, was featured at a Smithsonian Benefit Exhibition in Virginia. Her work is noted by her patrons and admirers for her great ability to combine a refined artistic sensibility with careful technical rendering, in order to create detailed portraits that truly capture the individuality of each subject.