4 - 18th-century French school, after an ancient model

18th-century French school, after an ancient model Caracalla White marble bust H. 67 cm, including the pedestal (H. 14 cm) Provenance: Collection of Mr. D. from the Vendée region, Logis de Chaligny. Related literature: Alexandre Maral, François Girardon, the Sculptor of Louis XIV, Paris, Arthena, 2015; bronze model cataloged as fig. 354, pp. 438–439 Francis Haskell, N. Penny, *For the Love of Antiquity: Greco-Roman Statues and European Taste*, Hachette, 1988, pp. 190–191. Key Work -212–217 CE, Bust of Caracalla, white marble, Naples, Museo Archeologico Nazionale, inv. No. 6033. One of the earliest references to the ancient bust of Caracalla appears in Cardinal Alexander Farnese’s inventory of antiquities from 1568. The bust quickly gained widespread fame. The proliferation of copies is undoubtedly due to the striking nature of the face, turned with a fierce gaze, which makes the emperor’s portrait a traditional example of the “expressive head” type favored by sculptors. François Girardon (1628–1715) owned a fine bronze version in his collection, and among the numerous and uneven anonymous copies, one can cite those signed works by Laurent Delvaux (1696–1778) and Claude Francin (1702–1773). Carved from a block of high-quality marble, our bust ranks among the finest interpretations created in the 18th century. The carving in the marble is precise, and the rendering of the facial features is meticulous and expressive. The drapery and the decoration on the breastplate—both crisp and angular—contrast with the more naturalistic hair, featuring tight, lively, and tousled curls. While the model is not uncommon, our bust stands out from the rest. It was created by a highly skilled sculptor, likely to fulfill a major commission for an antiquities gallery—the kind that emerged with the fashion and rise of the “Grand Tour” movement in the late 18th century.