- 129
Jean Louis Ernest Meissonier
Estimate
20,000 - 30,000 USD
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Description
- Jean Louis Ernest Meissonier
- Général Duroc at the Battle of Castiglione
- inscribed Ve Meissonnier, dated 1893, and inscribed Duroc / Campagne d'Italie 1796 Castiglione / dernière maquette de mon mari Xbre 1890 / mort samedi 31 Janvier 1891 Paris (on the base)
- bronze, dark brown patina
- height 21 1/2 in.; 54.5 cm
Provenance
Sale: Sotheby's, New York, November 3, 2015, lot 101, illustrated
Acquired at the above sale
Acquired at the above sale
Literature
Peter Fusco and H.W. Janson, The Romantics to Rodin. French Nineteenth Century Sculpture from North American Collections, exh. cat., Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Minneapolis Institute of Art, Detroit Institute of Arts, Indianapolis Museum of Art, 1980, pp. 300-1
Condition
On the original metal base, which is 49 cm wide by 18 cm deep and has some light scratches. The original patina is pleasing and shows no evidence of alteration or touch-ups and is largely free of scratches. There is some verdigris in the crevices. The proper left reign is not fully attached. The vertical support from the base is slightly bent.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.
Catalogue Note
Meissonier was a celebrated and successful painter who, by the time of his death in 1891, had garnered virtually every possible public honor. His early career was characterized by his small scale paintings with meticulously rendered details. His assignment to Napoleon III’s staff in 1859 led to a fascination with military and battle scenes and the history of Napoleon I, the subjects that define him in modern minds.
It is unknown when Meissonier began to sculpt, though the links between his painted canvases and sculptures attest to the significance he placed on the interplay between the two. One of only two clearly dated works, and the last made before his death, the wax model for this bronze was made in December 1890, in preparation for his unfinished canvas, The Morning of Castiglione (for which a preparatory oil sketch was on the artist’s easel at the time of his death). Modeled in wax over wire, and often “dressed and saddled up” with cloth, leather and metal, the original sculptures functioned as aides to Meissonier in his near-obsessive desire to render horses in motion with anatomical precision.
The success of an exhibition of some of his waxes and a limited number of bronze casts persuaded his family to agree to the distinguished foundry Siot-Deceauville, reproducing further casts of his models and helping to establish Meissonier’s reputation as a talented sculptor as well as painter. This bronze was cast posthumously at the direction of the artist’s second wife, Elizabeth (née Besançon).
It is unknown when Meissonier began to sculpt, though the links between his painted canvases and sculptures attest to the significance he placed on the interplay between the two. One of only two clearly dated works, and the last made before his death, the wax model for this bronze was made in December 1890, in preparation for his unfinished canvas, The Morning of Castiglione (for which a preparatory oil sketch was on the artist’s easel at the time of his death). Modeled in wax over wire, and often “dressed and saddled up” with cloth, leather and metal, the original sculptures functioned as aides to Meissonier in his near-obsessive desire to render horses in motion with anatomical precision.
The success of an exhibition of some of his waxes and a limited number of bronze casts persuaded his family to agree to the distinguished foundry Siot-Deceauville, reproducing further casts of his models and helping to establish Meissonier’s reputation as a talented sculptor as well as painter. This bronze was cast posthumously at the direction of the artist’s second wife, Elizabeth (née Besançon).