JEAN-URBAIN GUERIN (FRENCH, 1760-1836)

Prospective purchasers are advised that several co… Read more

THE PROPERTY OF A EUROPEAN GENTLEMAN

Details

JEAN-URBAIN GUERIN (FRENCH, 1760-1836)
George-Fréderic Bapst, en buste, in profile to the left, in coat, waistcoat and frilled cravat, powdered hair en queue, painted in brown camaïeu heightened with white on a dark-blue ground
signed 'G[...]' (bottom centre)
on ivory
2 9/16 in. (66 mm.) diam., brass frame on wooden base

Provenance

Christie's, London, 21 October 1997, lot 43.

Special notice

Prospective purchasers are advised that several countries prohibit the importation of property containing materials from endangered species, including but not limited to coral, ivory and tortoiseshell. Accordingly, prospective purchasers should familiarize themselves with relevant customs regulations prior to bidding if they intend to import this lot into another country.

Brought to you by

Matilda Burn

mburns@christies.com +44 (0)20 7752 3026

Lot Essay

The backing paper is inscribed in an old handwriting 'Georges Frédéric Bapst (dit l'Aveugle) fils de Georges Michel Bapst et de Suzanne Elisabeth Strass Né le 23 Juin 1756 Mort célibataire le 18 Mai 1826'.
Born into an old and renowned Alsacian family of goldsmiths and jewellers, Bapst executed the jewels of Queen Marie-Antoinette and the sword of King Louis XVI. He was associated with the goldsmith Paul-Nicolas Menière and had the title of Supplier to the Court of France.
The attribution to Guérin is supported by comparison with a miniature in the Louvre (see P. Jean-Richard, Miniatures sur ivoire. Musée du Louvre. Musée d'Orsay, Paris 1994, no. 253).

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