Lot 170
170
THE PROPERTY OF A PRIVATE COLLECTOR
A GROUP OF FOUR PAINTED IRON ALLEGORICAL FIGURES OF THE FOUR SEASONS

Details
A GROUP OF FOUR PAINTED IRON ALLEGORICAL FIGURES OF THE FOUR SEASONS
CAST FROM MODELS BY EUGÈNE LOUIS LEQUESNE, FRENCH, 19TH CENTURY

the figure of Fall inscribed 'E. LEQUESNE 1863' and 'J.J. DUCEL & FILS PARIS', the figure of Winter inscribed 'E LEQUESNE. 1863' and 'J.J. DUCEL & FILS A- DE FORGES PARIS', the figure of Spring inscribed 'E LEQUESNE. 1863' and 'J.J. DUCEL & FILS A PARIS', the figure of Summer inscribed 'J.J. DUCEL Mo Co Fo.. PARIS 1856'--each 63½in. (161.3cm.) high (4)

Lot Essay

A Chevalier of the Legion of Honor, Lequesne exhibited extensively at the Paris Salon beginning in 1842. After winning the Prix de Rome in 1844, he created many secular and sacred architectural decorations as well as working as a portraitist. Upon J.J. Ducel's death in 1878, the models cast by his foundry were sold to the Val D'Osne foundry. The present set of allegorical figures were among those later cast by Val d'Osne. Cf. Y. Devaux, L'Universe des Bronzes, Paris, 1978, p. 215 for the Val D'Osne examples.