Venus Removing a Thorn from Her Foot. Barthelemy Prieur (Berzieux, 1536-Paris 1611). Bronze, translucent reddish patina, traces of darker patination. Beautiful neoclassical mount in mixed marble and gilded bronze.

Overall 28.5 x 10 x 10 cm. The bronze 19.7 x 9 x 6 cm.

Provenance: Baron Hippolyte Boissel de Monville (1794-1873), collector and agent for the Rothschilds. BM (Baron de Monville) engraved on the trunk.

Thanks to Dr. Charles Avery for attribution and related expertise.

Metal alloy testing performed at the laboratories of the University of Engineering, Milan.

Accompanied by a certificate of free circulation with the author's name and relative value.

Barthelemy Prieur was the court sculptor for Henry IV and Marie de' Medici. He traveled to Italy and worked for the House of Savoy.

Alongside his monumental creations for the French royal family, he also produced enchanting bronze female figures. Nude women washing, drying, or combing their hair, for a refined studio collection. A bit voyeuristic, in my opinion.

The visual, tactile, and sensual connotation inherent in collecting small bronzes, however, should never be overlooked, even at the risk of failing to understand one of the fundamental elements of owning these objects.

Passage on the international market attests to the interest in the small sculptures made by the Prieur foundry which, if considered first-hand and not late replicas, reach significant prices.

Some examples:

Mercury Playing the Flute, Christie's, 28/01/2015, estimate 600,000.00-1000,000.00 euros.
Realized price 605,000.00 euros.
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Kneeling Mother with Her Child, Sotheby's, June 2018, estimate 50,000.00-70,000.00 euros.
Realized price 187,000.00 euros.
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Woman Seated at the Bath, Sotheby's, 04/06/2022, estimate 120,000.00-180,000.00.
Realized price 138,600.00 euros.
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Seated Woman Combing Her Hair, Christie's, January 2023, estimate $400,000.00-$500,000.00.
Realized price $403,000.00.
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Below these top lots are many passages of small bronzes considered to be from a school, or not valued by illustrious provenances, which always achieve good results.

The Venus proposed here has an illustrious provenance, attested by the stamp on the trunk BM (Baron de Monville), study and attribution by Charles Avery, scientific tests of the metal alloy and a certificate of free circulation with the name of the author with an appropriate valuation (100,000.00 euros).

It is offered with an adequate rating, but one that can stimulate interest in the competition.

Bibliography:
Anthony Radcliffe-Nicholas Penny,
Renaissance Bronze, 1500-1650, The Robert H.Smith Collection, Philip Wilson Publishers, London, 2004, file 38, pp 220-21.