- 334
Baron François-Joseph Bosio (1768 - 1845 Monaco) after 1814
Estimate
30,000 - 50,000 USD
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Description
- Bust of King Louis XVIII
- bronze
- Baron François-Joseph Bosio (1768 - 1845 Monaco) after 1814
Provenance
Gift of Louis XVIII to Duke Decazes, by repute;
with the Heim Gallery, London;
the Arthur M. Sackler Collection;
His sale, Sotheby’s New York, 29 January 2010, lot 518
with the Heim Gallery, London;
the Arthur M. Sackler Collection;
His sale, Sotheby’s New York, 29 January 2010, lot 518
Condition
Standard wear and minor surface abrasions. A Small scratch and two small divots under his chin. A small amount of pitting around the shoulders. Stable casting crack at back corner of proper right shoulder. Otherwise, overall very good condition.
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
Louis XVIII claimed the French throne in 1795 after the death of his nephew, Louis XVI's son, but he did not reign until 1814, after the first defeat of Napoleon. Louis fled Paris upon Napoleon's escape from Elba and was restored to the throne after Waterloo. Although the sculptor François-Joseph Bosio (1768-1845) received extensive patronage from the Bonaparte family, he swiftly changed his allegiance back to the crown and produced a marble bust of King Louis XVIII (whereabouts unknown) which he exhibited in the first Salon of the Restauration in 1814.
This formidable bust of the King by Bosio is probably a variant of the Salon bust. Only four known bronze versions of this composition exist in: Le Musées Royaux de Beaux-Arts de Belgique (inv. 3609); the Metropolitan Museum of Art, dated circa 1815 (2000.630.4); a bronze cast by Lenoir-Ravrio in the Louvre (N 15812) and the present example.
Born in Monaco in 1768, François-Joseph Bosio trained in Paris under the master sculptor Augustin Pajou. He then travelled to Rome to become Canova's pupil, eventually returning to Paris in 1807. In 1822, Louis XVIII appointed Bosio premier sculpteur du Roi, after awarding him a Knighthood of the Order of Saint Michael. The artist was subsequently made an officer of the Légion d'Honneur and created a baron by Charles X in 1825.
During the Bourbon Restauration, Bosio’s production flourished, and he received important commissions including a monumental equestrian sculpture of Louis XIV which was erected in the Place des Victoires in Paris. He also created the statue of Napoleon for the column of the Grande Armée in 1840 under Napoleon III.
Several of Bosio's contemporaries produced images of Louis XVIII, including the French sculptor Jean-Pierre Cortot (1787-1843) who carved a monumental, full-length marble sculpture of Louis XVIII (c. 1816-1878) for the Villa Medici, Rome.
A variant of the present bronze was sold at Christie's New York 29 January 2014 lot 57 for $341,000. Few examples of this specific composition exist due to the destruction of images of the King after Napoleon was declared Emperor.
This formidable bust of the King by Bosio is probably a variant of the Salon bust. Only four known bronze versions of this composition exist in: Le Musées Royaux de Beaux-Arts de Belgique (inv. 3609); the Metropolitan Museum of Art, dated circa 1815 (2000.630.4); a bronze cast by Lenoir-Ravrio in the Louvre (N 15812) and the present example.
Born in Monaco in 1768, François-Joseph Bosio trained in Paris under the master sculptor Augustin Pajou. He then travelled to Rome to become Canova's pupil, eventually returning to Paris in 1807. In 1822, Louis XVIII appointed Bosio premier sculpteur du Roi, after awarding him a Knighthood of the Order of Saint Michael. The artist was subsequently made an officer of the Légion d'Honneur and created a baron by Charles X in 1825.
During the Bourbon Restauration, Bosio’s production flourished, and he received important commissions including a monumental equestrian sculpture of Louis XIV which was erected in the Place des Victoires in Paris. He also created the statue of Napoleon for the column of the Grande Armée in 1840 under Napoleon III.
Several of Bosio's contemporaries produced images of Louis XVIII, including the French sculptor Jean-Pierre Cortot (1787-1843) who carved a monumental, full-length marble sculpture of Louis XVIII (c. 1816-1878) for the Villa Medici, Rome.
A variant of the present bronze was sold at Christie's New York 29 January 2014 lot 57 for $341,000. Few examples of this specific composition exist due to the destruction of images of the King after Napoleon was declared Emperor.
RELATED LITERATURE
Stanislas Lami, Dictionnaire des Sculpteurs de L’École Français au Dix-Neuvième siècle, vol. I, Paris, 1914, pp. 147-163