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Lot Essay
The archives at Sèvres record on the 23rd June 1858 a commission by M. Regnier of the Comédie Française for three white biscuit figures; one of Moliere (the present lot), one of Corneille and a Baigneuse Falconet 1er Grandeur, all with the same blue bases and gilt inscriptions as the present lot.
The three Sèvres figures were a return gift to John Mitchell, the Director of the St. James's Theatre, who had offered the Comédie Française a portrait by Edouard Dubufe of the great actress Rachel after her death on 3rd January 1858. Rachel had frequently performed at the St. James's Theatre and Dubufe's portrait depicted her in the role of 'Camille' in Corneille's Horace.
The Comité d'Administration of the Comédie met on the 21st June 1858 and decided to accept the gift, and the portrait still forms part of their collection today. At the time, Baron Empis was the general administrator of the Comédie Française (from 1856 to 1859), but the commission was made by the actor Rignier, who was also at the time a 'sociétaire' of the Comédie Française (from 1835 to 1871 and 'doyen' from 1865 to 1871, the year of his death). Rignier was a regular actor at the St. James's Theatre, and probably knew John Mitchell in person, which could explain why the commission was made by him and not Baron Empis. The figures were delivered to Regnier on the 17th January 1859, and presumably Regnier was in charge of presenting them to John Mitchell.
The Sèvres model of Moliere is based on the marble sculpture by Jean-Jacques Caffiéri which was exhibited in the Paris salon of 1787 (and is now in the Louvre). Emile Bourgeois and Georges Lechevalier-Chevignard, op. cit., fig. 439, date the original Sèvres model to 1784.
Moliere (1622-1673) was described by Voltaire as the 'best comic writer of any nation'. He was born Jean Baptist Poquelin, the son of the upholsterer and tapestry maker to Louis XIII. He was briefly involved in his father's business (in 1641 he was obliged to officiate for his elderly and infirm father in his Royal household duties by attending the King to Narbonne in his place). He then joined a company of actors in the suburbs of St. Germain and began to write for the stage under the adopted name of Moliere. In the early 1660's he married the lively 17 year-old Armande Béjard, but their relationship was not a particularly happy one and only drove him to work harder. He was enormously successful, and by tradition this was partly due to the fact he was said to have read his comedies to Mme. Laforet, an elderly female servant, and if the comic passages in a play did not amuse her, apparently he would alter them before their publication.
The three Sèvres figures were a return gift to John Mitchell, the Director of the St. James's Theatre, who had offered the Comédie Française a portrait by Edouard Dubufe of the great actress Rachel after her death on 3rd January 1858. Rachel had frequently performed at the St. James's Theatre and Dubufe's portrait depicted her in the role of 'Camille' in Corneille's Horace.
The Comité d'Administration of the Comédie met on the 21st June 1858 and decided to accept the gift, and the portrait still forms part of their collection today. At the time, Baron Empis was the general administrator of the Comédie Française (from 1856 to 1859), but the commission was made by the actor Rignier, who was also at the time a 'sociétaire' of the Comédie Française (from 1835 to 1871 and 'doyen' from 1865 to 1871, the year of his death). Rignier was a regular actor at the St. James's Theatre, and probably knew John Mitchell in person, which could explain why the commission was made by him and not Baron Empis. The figures were delivered to Regnier on the 17th January 1859, and presumably Regnier was in charge of presenting them to John Mitchell.
The Sèvres model of Moliere is based on the marble sculpture by Jean-Jacques Caffiéri which was exhibited in the Paris salon of 1787 (and is now in the Louvre). Emile Bourgeois and Georges Lechevalier-Chevignard, op. cit., fig. 439, date the original Sèvres model to 1784.
Moliere (1622-1673) was described by Voltaire as the 'best comic writer of any nation'. He was born Jean Baptist Poquelin, the son of the upholsterer and tapestry maker to Louis XIII. He was briefly involved in his father's business (in 1641 he was obliged to officiate for his elderly and infirm father in his Royal household duties by attending the King to Narbonne in his place). He then joined a company of actors in the suburbs of St. Germain and began to write for the stage under the adopted name of Moliere. In the early 1660's he married the lively 17 year-old Armande Béjard, but their relationship was not a particularly happy one and only drove him to work harder. He was enormously successful, and by tradition this was partly due to the fact he was said to have read his comedies to Mme. Laforet, an elderly female servant, and if the comic passages in a play did not amuse her, apparently he would alter them before their publication.