Lot Essay
The subject and composition of the present bronze group fit easily into the artistic milieu of late 17th and 18th century France. The existence of the supporting tree-trunk suggests that the original model was a large-scale marble, probably intended for a chateau garden. However, at least two other bronze versions are known, one of which was sold in these Rooms (25 June 1980, lot 125, ¨1200). The other, at Blenheim Palace, is paired with a group of Silenus with the Infant Bacchus.