Maria dé Medici. Barthelemy Prieur (Berzieux, 1536- Paris, 1611) Attributed. 16th-17th century. Bronze with a transparent reddish patina.

22 x 16 x 8 cm

Barthelemy Prieur was the court sculptor of Henry IV and his wife Marie de' Medici. In addition to creating monumental works for the royal couple, he also produced a series of small, vaguely erotic studio bronzes depicting nude Venuses in various poses.

He also created with equal skill a series of small bronzes with a laudatory theme depicting the king and queen, both full-length and in bust form.

The bust presented here depicts Maria de' Medici and was originally paired with that of her husband, Henry IV. Since they were cast in the foundry as diplomatic gifts, it is possible to see several replicas of varying quality, made by the workshop or attributable to the hand of the master.

Distinguishing between a workshop product and one crafted by an artist is often complex and risky, if not erroneous. Indeed, the foundry produced objects that required the contribution of various, often indistinguishable, professionals. Even great artists provided wax models and had them crafted by excellent craftsmen under their supervision.

Our bust is certainly consistent with the best known castings of the Prieur, both in terms of workmanship and patina. In consideration of these elements, we propose an attribution consistent with the best castings of the master.