Barthelemy Prieur (Berzieux, 1538 - Paris, 1611)
Venus pulling a thorn from her foot
The bronze is accompanied by the expertise of Dr. Charles Avery.
Examination of the metal alloy was carried out at the laboratories of the University of Engineering, Milan.
Fine neoclassical setting in mixed marble and gilded bronze
The lot is accompanied by a certificate of free circulation indicating the name of the author and the appropriate estimate of 100.000 €.
Known for his role as court sculptor to Henry IV and Marie de Medici, Barthelemy Prieur travelled to Italy where he worked for the Savoy family. In addition to his monumental sculptures for the French royal family, he also produced enchanting bronze female figures in various poses (washing, drying or combing their hair) destined for a refined studio collection of a vaguely voyeuristic taste.
The high quality of the material and the sensual elegance of the small-format castings are in perfect harmony with the need for aesthetic gratification that characterises the collecting of bronzes.
Baron Hippolyte Boissel de Monville (1794-1873), collector and agent for the Rothschilds. The illustrious provenance is attested by the stamping BM (Baron de Monville) engraved on the trunk.
Anthony Radcliffe-Nicholas Penny, Renaissance Bronze, 1500-1650, The Robert H.Smith Collection - Philip Wilson Publishers, London, 2004, cat. n. 38, pp 220-21