Lot 121
121
A TERRACOTTA BUST OF LOUIS II DE BOURBON, PRINCE DE CONDÉ, CALLED LE GRAND CONDÉ (1621-1686)
A TERRACOTTA BUST OF LOUIS II DE BOURBON, PRINCE DE CONDÉ, CALLED LE GRAND CONDÉ (1621-1686)
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Please note this lot will be moved to Christie’s F… Read more
A TERRACOTTA BUST OF LOUIS II DE BOURBON, PRINCE DE CONDÉ, CALLED LE GRAND CONDÉ (1621-1686)

AFTER ANTOINE COYSEVOX, FIRST-HALF 19TH CENTURY

Details
A TERRACOTTA BUST OF LOUIS II DE BOURBON, PRINCE DE CONDÉ, CALLED LE GRAND CONDÉ (1621-1686)
AFTER ANTOINE COYSEVOX, FIRST-HALF 19TH CENTURY
Decorated in Antique armor and inscribed to the reverse A COYSEVOX 1681, on a later grey and brown marble pedestal
27 ½ in. (70 cm.) high, overall
Provenance
By repute, Château de la Ferronière.
Literature
COMPARATIVE LITERATURE:
Keller-Dorian Georges, Antoine Coysevox, Paris, 1920, I, pp. 62-63.
Chefs-d'oeuvre du musée du Louvre. Bronzes de la Renaissance à Rodin, Tokyo, Metropolitan Art Museum, 1988, p. 235.
Masterpieces from the Louvre. French bronzes from the Renaissance to Rodin, Brisbane (Australia), Queensland Art Gallery, 1988, p. 68-69.
Special notice
Please note this lot will be moved to Christie’s Fine Art Storage Services (CFASS in Red Hook, Brooklyn) at 5pm on the last day of the sale. Lots may not be collected during the day of their move to Christie’s Fine Art Storage Services. Please consult the Lot Collection Notice for collection information. This sheet is available from the Bidder Registration staff, Purchaser Payments or the Packing Desk and will be sent with your invoice.

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Lot Essay

A controversial figure, Louis II de Bourbon was known for his cunning, treachery and bravery-- characteristics which are deftly captured in the original portrait bust by Coysevox, after which the present bust is modeled. Louis II was considered a hero for his victory at the Battle of Rocroi (Ardennes, 1643) during the Franco-Spanish war, which is reflected with his armor in the Roman style, a lion muzzle shoulder piece, and his coat trimmed with the noble fleurs-de-lis. However, Condé was also known for siding with the Fronde in their attempt to check the increasing power of the royal government (his cousin the King of France). This ambivalent nature is reflected with his tense expression, protruding veins, and eagle-like profile, conveying a fierce and powerful energy.

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