Description
Barthelemy Prieur (Berzieux, 1536- Parigi 1611) Venus pulling a thorn from her foot Bronze, redish patina, traces of darker patina Fine neoclassical setting in mixed marble and gilded bronze Overall 28,5x10x10 cmBronze 19,7x9x6 cm The bronze is accompanied by the expertise of Dr. Charles Avery.Examination of the metal alloy carried out at the laboratories of the University of Engineering, Milan.The lot is accompanied by a certificate of free circulation indicating the name of the author and the appropriate valuation of € 100,000Known for his role as court sculptor to Henry IV and Marie de Medici, Barthelemy Prieur also travelled to Italy where he worked for the Savoy family. In addition to his monumental sculptures for the French royal family, he also produced enchanting bronze female figures in various poses (washing, drying or combing their hair) destined for a refined studio collection of a vaguely voyeuristic taste.The high quality of the material and the sensual elegance of the small-format castings appear to be in perfect harmony with the need for aesthetic gratification that characterises the collecting of bronzes.Provenance:Baron Hippolyte Boissel de Monville (1794-1873), collector and agent for the Rothschilds.The illustrious provenance is attested by the stamping BM (Baron de Monville) engraved in the trunk. BibliographyAnthony Radcliffe-Nicholas Penny, Renaissance Bronze, 1500-1650, The Robert H. Smith Collection, Philip Wilson Publishers, London, 2004, card 38, pp 220-21
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Barthelemy Prieur (Berzieux, 1536- Parigi 1611) Venus pulling a thorn from her foot Bronze, redish patina, traces of darker patina Fine neoclassical setting in mixed marble and gilded bronze Overall 28,5x10x10 cmBronze 19,7x9x6 cm The bronze is accompanied by the expertise of Dr. Charles Avery.Examination of the metal alloy carried out at the laboratories of the University of Engineering, Milan.The lot is accompanied by a certificate of free circulation indicating the name of the author and the appropriate valuation of € 100,000Known for his role as court sculptor to Henry IV and Marie de Medici, Barthelemy Prieur also travelled to Italy where he worked for the Savoy family. In addition to his monumental sculptures for the French royal family, he also produced enchanting bronze female figures in various poses (washing, drying or combing their hair) destined for a refined studio collection of a vaguely voyeuristic taste.The high quality of the material and the sensual elegance of the small-format castings appear to be in perfect harmony with the need for aesthetic gratification that characterises the collecting of bronzes.Provenance:Baron Hippolyte Boissel de Monville (1794-1873), collector and agent for the Rothschilds.The illustrious provenance is attested by the stamping BM (Baron de Monville) engraved in the trunk. BibliographyAnthony Radcliffe-Nicholas Penny, Renaissance Bronze, 1500-1650, The Robert H. Smith Collection, Philip Wilson Publishers, London, 2004, card 38, pp 220-21
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