German, Bavaria, circa 1720

Neptune numbered: 53. and Ceres numbered: 50. in red ink on the underside

European noble family

Overall the condition of the bronzes is good with wear and some dirt to the surface consistent with age and some dust in the crevices. The reddish brown lacquer patina has rubbed at the high points. The Neptune has several areas of nicks including to the front of the wreath, brow, nose, proper left wrist, and shoulders, and the edges of the base. The tip of his proper right thumb is damaged. His right arm was cast separately and joined at the shoulder. Ceres has traces of a yellow pigment to the crevices and some spots of greening to the side of the base. There is some blackening to the back corners of the base. There are a few minor nicks to her surface, including at the tip of the nose and the edges of the base. There is a flattened area to her proper right shoulder on the reverse. She is missing an attribute from her proper right hand. A plug is screwed through the surface to the drapery at the base on the reverse.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

These elegant bronzes come from a set of four statuettes of Gods representing the Four Elements. A complete set that incorporates casts of the present models is in the magnificent Würzburg Residenz, the home of the Prince-Bishop of Würzburg, Johann Philipp Franz von Schonborn, and his brother Friedrich Carl. A further set of four was sold in these rooms on 28 November 1968 (lot 56), catalogued as 'a fine set of Louis XIV bronze figures'. The bronzes certainly betray a French influence. Earth's pose, which is ultimately derived from the Medici Venus, recalls the personification of Summer from Philippe Bertrand's (1663-1724) eponymous bronze group in the Royal Collection (inv. no. RCIN 31364.2). Meanwhile, the figure of Fire, still present in the 1968 and Würzburg sets, is conceptually analagous with Bertand's personification of Winter in one of the adjoining Royal Collection groups (RCIN 31364.4). The pose of the lost figure of Air is very similar to Robert Le Lorrain's (1666-1743) Bacchante with a Child Satyr (circa 1704) in the Musée des Beaux-Arts, Rennes (inv. no. 79.13.1). Finally, the present figure of Water is close to Guillaume Coustou's Rhône in the beard and wreathed head (see the cast in the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Lyon, inv. no. 164).

Given the facture of the present bronzes, with their incised eyes and heavy casting, as well as the fact that there is a set in the Würzburg Residenz, it seems likely that they were made in Germany. They are most reminiscent of works produced by the Bavarian court sculptor Guillielmus de Groff (circa 1676-1742), who was trained in France. Compare the figure of Water, in particular, with De Groff's Neptune in the Nymphenburg gardens in Munich.

RELATED LITERATURE
G. Besc-Bautier and G. Scherf (eds.), Cast in Bronze. French Sculpture from Renaissance to Revolution, exh. cat. Musée du Louvre, Paris, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, and J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, Paris, 2009, pp. 340-341, 386-387, 390-391, 400-403, 428-429, nos. 94, 102, 103, 108-109, 119