René Frémin, 1672 - 1744

Private collection, Belgium.

Related literature:
F. Souchal, French sculptors of the 17th and 18th centuries, Londres, 1981, pp. 305-306, n° 14; B. Roscaco, « Les sculptures de Marly sous Louis XIV : influence vénitienne et destinée sous Louis XV », in Bulletin du Centre de recherche du château de Versailles, 2012 (http://crcv.revues.org/11904) ; G. Gaborit, G. Bresc-Bautier, Sculpture française II –Renaissance et Temps Modernes, vol. 1, Louvre museum, Paris, 1998, p. 385.

The marble is in good overall condition with some minor surface dirt, particularly in the crevices, and some minor homogeneous weathering of the surface due to outside exposure. Some natural inclusions and grey veining visible to the marble at several places, consistent with the material.There are some chips to the high points, particularly to the drapery and along the lower edges of the terrace, and a few minor scratches at several places. The small finger of Flora's proper left hand is missing, with an old restauration visible. Four fingers of her proper right hand have been restored. Three lacks are visible to the lower edges of the drapery to Flora's back. Otherwise, very impressive marble, with a wonderful carving and important size. A gentle cleaning could easily improve the general aspect of the marble and highlight the refinement of the modelling.
"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."

René Frémin studied first with François Girardon, then with Antoine Coysevox, before winning the Prix de Rome for sculpture in 1694 and the bursary that went with it, which enabled him to stay in Rome for four years. Shortly after his return to Paris he was admitted to the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture, and his first Salon in 1704 saw him exhibit the marble statue The Abduction of Deianira by Hercules. Frémin's which was heavily influenced by the Roman Baroque art was well received because it harmonised with the more contemporary work being created by the sculptors at Versailles. Before long he was drafted into work on the Royal building projects in Rambouillet, Paris, Versailles and Marly. His prestige at the French Court led to an invitation from King Philip V of Spain to decorate the Royal Palace and Gardens at La Granja de San Ildefonso along with another sculptor, Jean Thierry. This commission drew Frémin away from the French court for many years, from 1721 to 1738.

In 1706 the Superintendent of the King's Buildings commissioned Frémin to sculpt a Flora, intended to decorate the Cascade Champêtre (or Cascade Rustique) in the Royal Park at Marly. Several artists contributed to this set of six sculptures on the allegorical theme of the Seasons and Elements, the other five being Air by Philippe Bertrand (Louvre), Pomona by François Barois (Louvre), Vertumnus by Sébastien Slodtz, Pan by Robert Le Lorrain and Water by Jean Thierry. This marble statue by Frémin was followed by a second in 1710, La Compagne de Diane. Both survived destruction during the Revolution, and are now kept in the Louvre Museum (inv. no. RF 265, see illustration, and MR 1862), in the Cour Marly that reconstructs the statuary carved for the gardens of the Château de Marly. This included the pieces by Bertrand and Barois referred to above, along with several groups by Antoine Coysevox: Fame and Mercury, The Seine, The Marne, Neptune and Amphitrite. These statues from Marly, along with other pieces that have since been lost, formed a unique and ambitious scheme conceived by Jules-Hardouin Mansart, the Superintendent of the King's Buildings.

The park's statuary was designed to form a coherent architectural whole laid out on a perfectly symmetrical plan, in accordance with the landscaping principles of formal French gardens. At Marly, the classical rigour of the earlier Versailles landscape designs was relaxed a bit. Nature and Art came together in harmonious union and the compositions were freer, forming graceful flowing and dancing lines. The allegorical figures of the Cascade Champêtre, like the other fountains at Marly, are hence both the work of Man and a personification of the elements of Nature.

Frémin's Flora is considered his magnum opus. It follows the tradition of the greats who worked on the earlier sculptures of Louis XIV's personal reign, Girardon and Coysevox, and who had been Frémin's masters. His Flora also initiated the shift from early 18th-century Late Baroque that led into the Rococo style. Flora's smiling face emanates a sense of Arcadian gaiety that is specific to Frémin. Souchal records the following versions of Flora: a cast of the model at Château de la Muette, now lost; a terracotta put up for sale in 1942 in Belgrano, Switzerland (this may be the one presented by the Alexis Bordes Gallery in Paris in 2014, height 71 cm); and a marble at the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington (probably after René Frémin). We should also mention the appearance on the market of a stone Flora after René Frémin (French school of the 18th century, height 170 cm). Our Flora is Frémin's signature work, showcasing the phenomenal quality of his sculpting: delicate folds of drapery cling to her curves, the finely detailed flowers in her crown and garland are meticulously rendered, and a serene smile lights up her face with youthful merriment.