BY CHEVALIER, CIRCA 1790-1800

Details

A TERRACOTTA BUST OF A GENTLEMAN
By Chevalier, circa 1790-1800
On an integral square terracotta base decorated in relief with a winged figure holding a lamp flanked by two recumbent women; inscribed beneath 'Vigilat cum dormiunt.'; signed on the reverse 'chevalier.f.'.
Minor chips, cracks and losses; repairs.
27¼ in. (69.2 cm.) high, overall

Special notice

VAT rate of 5% is payable on hammer price plus buyer's premium.

Lot Essay

It is impossible to determine the authorship of this bust based on the abbreviated signature alone, but it may be by Manciau-Louis-Pierre-Toussaint Chevalier, who is known to have been a sculptor active in Paris at the time of the revolution. The Latin inscription on the base may be loosely translated as 'He watches over them while they sleep', an apparent reference to the sitter's military role as protector of the populace.

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