613 - AUSTIN MANUFACTURE

AUSTIN MANUFACTURE LARGE PAIR OF SPHINXES Made of Austin terracotta Engraved with the date 1833. Height: 99; Length: 121; Width: 44 cm Note. The design of this pair of sphinxes follows directly in the tradition of the great sculptural creations of the French Grand Siècle. The motif of the reclining female sphinx—with an idealized feminine face, hair held back by ribbons, and a back covered with an embroidered tapestry—finds its primary archetype in the works commissioned under Louis XIV. One thinks in particular of the famous sphinxes sculpted by Guillaume Coustou (1677–1746) around 1710–1714 for the Carp Pond at the Château de Marly (now preserved in the exedra of the Tuileries Garden). This innovative design spread rapidly throughout Europe thanks to engravings and the Grand Tour. As early as the 18th century, major English estates (such as Chiswick House and Stowe) adopted this French-inspired motif to adorn the transitions between terraces and the paths in their gardens. In the 1830s, the London-based sculptor and industrialist Felix Austin established himself as the main rival and successor to the famous Coade Stone factory. Based in Regent’s Park, Austin developed a refined formula for architectural terracotta and artificial sandstone, capable of withstanding freezing temperatures while offering a texture as fine as that of carved stone. A few years later, he partnered with landscape architect Robert Seeley to form the renowned firm Austin Seeley.