Lot Essay
This plate was almost certainly part of a supplement to the maréchal-duc de Richelieu service. It formed part of a group of plates and compotiers delivered in the first half of 1775 to the dealer Mr Bazin . The absence of other pieces in the 1775 delivery, and the very close similarity of the decoration to the duc de Richelieu's service, suggests that Bazin was almost certainly handling a supplement to the Richelieu service. See David Peters, Sèvres Plates and Services of the 18th century (Little Berkhamsted, 2005), Vol. III, pp. 537-538, no. 75-9. The first delivery of the Richelieu service was one of only two important early pink-ground services produced before 1760.
Richelieu was a soldier, statesman and a diplomat, and he was eventually appointed Marshal of France. At the time of the delivery to Versailles in 1759 he was governor of Guienne and moving between Bordeaux, Paris and Versailles.
François-Joseph Aloncle was a painter of birds, animals and landscapes active at Sèvres from 1758 to 1781. Bertrand was a painter of flowers active at Sèvres from 1757 to 1775. Jean-Baptiste-Emmanuel Vandé père was a gilder and painter active at Vincennes and Sèvres from 1753 to 1779. François Barré was a gilder and painter of flowers and patterns active at Sèvres from 1773 to 1778.
Richelieu was a soldier, statesman and a diplomat, and he was eventually appointed Marshal of France. At the time of the delivery to Versailles in 1759 he was governor of Guienne and moving between Bordeaux, Paris and Versailles.
François-Joseph Aloncle was a painter of birds, animals and landscapes active at Sèvres from 1758 to 1781. Bertrand was a painter of flowers active at Sèvres from 1757 to 1775. Jean-Baptiste-Emmanuel Vandé père was a gilder and painter active at Vincennes and Sèvres from 1753 to 1779. François Barré was a gilder and painter of flowers and patterns active at Sèvres from 1773 to 1778.