South Netherlandish, second half 17th century

numbered to the reverse: 2

Arturo José Lopez-Willshaw, Paris
his sale, Sotheby's Monte Carlo, 23 June 1976, lot 32
British Rail Pension Fund, London
its sale, Sotheby's London, 4 July 1996, lot 39

London, Victoria and Albert Museum, 1976-1995

B. von Götz-Mohr, ‘Je maintiendray. Vier Bronzebüsten aus einer Bildnisreihe des Hauses Orangien’, Städel-Jahrbuch, XI, 1987, pp. 252-253, fig. 15 (as William III, Prince of Orange).

Overall the condition of the bronze is good with minor dirt and wear to the surface consistent with age. There is some wear to the gilding, for example to the tip of the nose. There are a few minor scuff marks and scratches. There are a few small casting flaws, such as small lacunae and one or two minor fissures, including one to the proper right shoulder. There are a few small nicks, including to the base. The mounts on the socle are a little loose.
"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."

The present bust belongs to a series of portraits formerly believed to represent the Princes of Orange-Nassau but which have now been cautiously identified as busts of the Governor-Generals of the Spanish Netherlands. The largest grouping of this series are the four casts in Frankfurt, formerly belonging to the Antwerp businessman August de Ridder (1837-1911). Three of these are in the Museum für Angewandte Kunst, while the other is in the Liebieghaus, Frankfurt. They are believed to represent Archduke Albert of Austria, the Cardinal-Infant Ferdinand, the Marquis of Castel-Rodrigo and the Marquis of Caracena. In establishing the identity of the present bust, a strong resemblance to Archduke Leopold Wilhelm of Austria (1614-1662) can be discerned in the narrowness of the face and pointed nose, as well as the - relatively typical - arrangement of hair and moustache as seen in David Teniers depictions of him. Unlike two of the busts in the series, it does not display the Golden Fleece, an Order of which Leopold Wilhelm was not a member. The somewhat anachronistic foliate decoration is, however, unusual amongst the portraits of him wearing armour. While the authorship of the busts has yet to be identified, Leopold Wilhelm's court sculptor Jerome Duquesnoy is unlikely to have been responsible for the series. A more plausible candidate, who ran a workshop that also cast bronzes, is Jan Baptiste van Helderberghe (c.1651-1734).

Another bust from the series appeared in these rooms on 12th December 1996, lot 85. Interestingly, it was incised to the rear with the number '8' (the present bust is incised 2'). This may refer either to the foundry model number or to the final arrangement of the busts within an architectural framework such as a library.