Large Patinated Bronze Group of Fame After the Model by Antoine Coysevox

Description

A Marvelous and Large 19th Century French Patinated Bronze group of Fame After the Model by Antoine Coysevox. The sculpture depicts the allegorical figure of Fame seated side-saddle atop a winged horse, trumpet raised in her right hand, and a laurel wreath adorning her head. The bronze is signed “Coysevox 1702” on the integral base, referring to the original model created by the French Baroque sculptor for the Château de Marly under Louis XIV. The present bronze group faithfully reproduces the composition and dynamic movement of Coysevox’s celebrated original, preserving the detail and monumental form in reduced scale. The group is cast with rich detail throughout, including the rearing stance of the horse with feathered wings extended mid-motion and a muscular neck turned slightly to the side. The figure of Fame is draped in classical robes, her torso partially exposed, and her head turned toward the raised trumpet. The base is naturalistically modeled with cast representations of military trophies, including a lion-pelt-draped cuirass, Greco-Roman helmet, tasseled standards, and a round shield decorated in relief with a mythological battle scene. The surface features a dark brown patina, consistent with French foundry production of the second half of the 1800s. Antoine Coysevox (1640–1720) executed the original marble groups of “La Renommée” (Fame) and “Mercure” (Mercury) between 1701 and 1702 for the horse pond at Marly, the royal retreat of Louis XIV. These sculptures were later moved in 1719 to the entrance of the Tuileries Gardens when Guillaume Coustou’s “Chevaux de Marly” replaced them. The present bronze belongs to a 19th-century tradition of recasting major royal commissions in reduced formats for private collectors and the export market, often produced by leading Parisian foundries such as Barbedienne or Susse Frères. The precise chasing and uniform patination suggest workshop production consistent with the best practices of the period. France, Circa: 1840.

Details

Dimensions