A Sevres biscuit group of "Le Triomphe de Bacchus"

CIRCA 1775, INCISED L R

Details

A Sevres biscuit group of "Le Triomphe de Bacchus"
Circa 1775, incised L R Bacchus scantily draped in a lion's skin and seated on a rock, flanked by two nymphs each wearing garlands of ivy and robes tied at the waist, one holding a crown of vine leaves and grapes, the other serving him wine, two young satyrs squabbling over grapes and fruit from a basket at Bacchus's feet, a putto playfully feeding Bacchus's lion behind him, a helmet, headdress, quiver of arrows, bow, musical instruments and wine vessels strewn about the high shaped oval rockwork base (left nymph's right hand and wine-jug restuck and restored, Bacchus's right forearm and right nymph's arms probably restuck, restorations to crown and one young satyr's hand, lion's right foreleg probably a replacement, slight minor chipping to extremities)
14 in. (35.5 cm.) high

Sale room notice

There is an incised script LR over one to the rockwork base

Lot Essay

The subject of the present lot was almost certainly adapted from the marble "Apollo tended by nymphs", carved between 1666 and 1675 by Franois Girardon in collaboration with Thomas Regnaudin, and originally installed in the Grotte de Tthys at Versailles. The sculpture represented the Sun (as Apollo) being tended by nymphs at the end of his daily journey across the sky. The figure of Apollo alluded directly to Louis XIV, and the decoration on a ewer (held by a nymph) depicted the French army crossing the Rhine, alluding to his reign. Although this Svres group represents Bacchus rather than Apollo, Louis XIV is almost certainly represented as Bacchus.

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