CIRCA 1808, THE REAR OF THE TRUNCATION INCISED A.B. AND J.B. 1 M. 8 NO 1., IMPRESSED SEVRES AND WITH A CYPHER BELOW, THE BEAU BLEU SOCLE WITH IRON-RED M. IMPLE DE SEVRES AND DATE CYPHER 8 FOR 1808 STENCILLED ON THE FOOTRIM, THE INTERIOR PAINTED IN GREEN 8J

The present portrait bust may be based on an oil portrait of the young man by Stepan Shchukin.

As is typical at Sèvres, the incised marks give a very complete history of the present model, a diplomatic gift from Napoléon I: The incised A.B. are the initials of the sculptor Aléxandre Brachard fils (1775-1843). The J.B. are those of his brother, Jean-Charles-Nicolas Brachard, l'aîné (1766-1746). Active at Sèvres as a sculptor on and off from 1795 until his retirement many years later, he will have overseen the production of the present portrait. 1 m 8 or 1 March 1808 is the date of firing.

The No.1 notation is intriguing in that a portrait of Alexander I of Russia was known to have been a diplomatic gift from Napoléon I of France to the Tsar. See M. Ch.-E. de Ujfalvy-Bourdon, Les Biscuits de Porcelaine, Paris, 1893, pp. 9-10 where the author reproduces relevent entries from the factory's records. In a notation that post dates the previous entry of 16 February 1808 is written a listing of S©vres porcelaine sent to Russia by the French emperor, including Buste de l'empereur Alexandre, 60 francs. Given the numbering on the present bust and a firing date of March 1808, could it be that this very example was the gift?