– 3 –– 2 –

ba roqu e i vor ies germany. the sixteenth century : attributed

Christoph Weiditz b. Freiburg im Breisgau c. 1500 ; d. Augsburg 1559

Weiditz was a medallist, sculptor and goldsmith, active in Strasbourg and South Germany. He travelled to Spain in 1529 in the retinue of Emperor Charles V, and again formed part of the Imperial Court’s visit to the Rhineland and the Netherlands in 1530–1. He probably went to Saxony in 1537 and 1539, and may have additionally journeyed to England. His work as a portrait medallist is characterized by a naturalistic style . ¶ (TDA 1996, entry by Krummer-Schroth)

[1] Hercules plucking a thorn from his footStatuette

by Christoph Weiditz

South German ; c.1540–50Ivory ; h. 15.3 cm ; w. 10 cmCondition : the left toe is broken oV, and the head of the lizard is also missing ; surface cracks. Scratches on the underside of the integral oval base indicate that it was once fixed to a support ; otherwise in good conditionInv. no. A.35–1949

Given by Dr W.L. Hildburgh F.S.A. in 1949 ; formerly on loan from Dr Hildburgh. Bought by Dr Hildburgh from Fer-dinand Knapp, Berlin, on 3 March, 1931 ; perhaps previously in a Russian private collection.

The seated figure of Hercules is shown nude, cross-legged, plucking a thorn from his foot, seated on an ivy-clad tree trunk draped with the Nemean lion’s skin (Hall 1990, p. 174). He is depicted as a young man, clean-shaven. Plants and small animals, a lizard, a frog, and a miniature indeterminate mam-mal emerging from a hole in the ground are shown on the grassy ground at Hercules’s feet. His club lies on the ground to his left. His mouth is half-open, revealing his teeth, and his facial expression is pained, as he attempts to remove the thorn from his heel. The pose of the body, though not the head, is based on the antique Spinario, which Weiditz could have known through a later bronze statuette (see Haskell and Penny 1981, pp. 308–10). The head, which is more naturalistic than that seen on the antique prototype, could be based on a life study. It is interesting to compare Rubens’s slightly later treatment of the same classical source, in a chalk drawing of the early seventeenth century, where the head was also freely adapted, and almost certainly taken from life (Rowlands 1977, cat. no. 14).

On acquisition this ivory was thought to date from the seventeenth or eighteenth century, but a closely comparable piece depicting the seated nude Cleopatra, now in the Germa-nisches Nationalmuseum (inv. no. PLO 2806 ; Schädler 1987,

pp. 164–5, figs. 3 and 4), was convincingly shown by Schädler to be by Weiditz, and Christian Theuerkau¸ has pointed out orally the resemblance of that work to the present figure. However the idea of combining a figure of Hercules with the Spinario pose is highly unusual, and probably unique. In ad-dition the union of the antique with closely observed natural forms suggests it could have been intended for a cabinet of cu-riosities. Perhaps it was even a male pendant to the Cleopatra now in Nuremberg, although once again the pairing of these two subjects, one mythological, the other from ancient his-tory, is not otherwise known.

Although Ferdinand Knapp, the dealer in Berlin from whom Dr Hildburgh, the donor, bought this ivory in 1931, had claimed it came from the collection in the Hermitage at St Petersburg, this has subsequently been shown to be mistaken. I am grateful to V. Kryjanovscaja, Curator of Medieval Art at the Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg, for clarifying this.

bibliography : Trusted (Making of Sculpture) 2007, p. 119, fig. 218 ; for general reference see Radcli¸e 1966, pp. 69–70.

[1]

– 3 –– 2 –

ba roqu e i vor ies germany. the sixteenth century : attributed

Christoph Weiditz b. Freiburg im Breisgau c. 1500 ; d. Augsburg 1559

Weiditz was a medallist, sculptor and goldsmith, active in Strasbourg and South Germany. He travelled to Spain in 1529 in the retinue of Emperor Charles V, and again formed part of the Imperial Court’s visit to the Rhineland and the Netherlands in 1530–1. He probably went to Saxony in 1537 and 1539, and may have additionally journeyed to England. His work as a portrait medallist is characterized by a naturalistic style . ¶ (TDA 1996, entry by Krummer-Schroth)

[1] Hercules plucking a thorn from his footStatuette

by Christoph Weiditz

South German ; c.1540–50Ivory ; h. 15.3 cm ; w. 10 cmCondition : the left toe is broken oV, and the head of the lizard is also missing ; surface cracks. Scratches on the underside of the integral oval base indicate that it was once fixed to a support ; otherwise in good conditionInv. no. A.35–1949

Given by Dr W.L. Hildburgh F.S.A. in 1949 ; formerly on loan from Dr Hildburgh. Bought by Dr Hildburgh from Fer-dinand Knapp, Berlin, on 3 March, 1931 ; perhaps previously in a Russian private collection.

The seated figure of Hercules is shown nude, cross-legged, plucking a thorn from his foot, seated on an ivy-clad tree trunk draped with the Nemean lion’s skin (Hall 1990, p. 174). He is depicted as a young man, clean-shaven. Plants and small animals, a lizard, a frog, and a miniature indeterminate mam-mal emerging from a hole in the ground are shown on the grassy ground at Hercules’s feet. His club lies on the ground to his left. His mouth is half-open, revealing his teeth, and his facial expression is pained, as he attempts to remove the thorn from his heel. The pose of the body, though not the head, is based on the antique Spinario, which Weiditz could have known through a later bronze statuette (see Haskell and Penny 1981, pp. 308–10). The head, which is more naturalistic than that seen on the antique prototype, could be based on a life study. It is interesting to compare Rubens’s slightly later treatment of the same classical source, in a chalk drawing of the early seventeenth century, where the head was also freely adapted, and almost certainly taken from life (Rowlands 1977, cat. no. 14).

On acquisition this ivory was thought to date from the seventeenth or eighteenth century, but a closely comparable piece depicting the seated nude Cleopatra, now in the Germa-nisches Nationalmuseum (inv. no. PLO 2806 ; Schädler 1987,

pp. 164–5, figs. 3 and 4), was convincingly shown by Schädler to be by Weiditz, and Christian Theuerkau¸ has pointed out orally the resemblance of that work to the present figure. However the idea of combining a figure of Hercules with the Spinario pose is highly unusual, and probably unique. In ad-dition the union of the antique with closely observed natural forms suggests it could have been intended for a cabinet of cu-riosities. Perhaps it was even a male pendant to the Cleopatra now in Nuremberg, although once again the pairing of these two subjects, one mythological, the other from ancient his-tory, is not otherwise known.

Although Ferdinand Knapp, the dealer in Berlin from whom Dr Hildburgh, the donor, bought this ivory in 1931, had claimed it came from the collection in the Hermitage at St Petersburg, this has subsequently been shown to be mistaken. I am grateful to V. Kryjanovscaja, Curator of Medieval Art at the Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg, for clarifying this.

bibliography : Trusted (Making of Sculpture) 2007, p. 119, fig. 218 ; for general reference see Radcli¸e 1966, pp. 69–70.

[1]

– 95 –– 94 –

germany and austria. the eighteenth century : attributedgermany and austria. the eighteenth century : attributed

Carl August Lücke the Younger b. Dresden c.1710 ; d. perhaps Danzig after 1777

Probably the son, or perhaps the nephew, of Carl August Lücke the Elder (for whom see cat. nos. 73 and 74), and the younger brother of Johann Ludwig Christoph Lücke (for whom see cat. nos. 76–9), Carl Au-gust Lücke the Younger was almost certainly trained in Dresden, and worked there, as well as in Hamburg, as an ivory sculptor. He became court sculptor at Schwerin in 1738, working for Duke Christian Ludwig II of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, and remained there until the death of the Duke in 1756, with the exception of a journey to St Petersburg for a few months in 1754/5. He then returned to St Petersburg and stayed there between 1757 and 1762, with a short visit to Danzig during this time. He was reported to be living in pov-erty in Danzig in 1777. He produced above all small relief portraits in ivory, sometimes repeating details, for example the drapery. ¶ (Möller 2000, p. 76 ; TDA 1996, entry by Gerhardt)

[75] Adolf Frederick, King of Sweden (1710–1771 ; ruled 1751–71)Relief

by Carl August Lücke the Younger (signed)

German ; c.1751Ivory in an ebony and tortoiseshell frame ; h. 15.6 cm (frame) ; 10 cm (ivory alone) ; w. 13.5 cm (frame) ; 6.8 cm. (ivory alone)Condition : the lower left-hand corner broken and repaired ; the back of the frames drilled with two holes for fixing purposes, and slightly damagedInv. nos. A. 6 and a-1965

Given by Cyril Humphris 23 Old Bond Street, London, in 1965. Sold at Sotheby’s, London, 26 March 1965, lot 6 ; bought for £50 by the donor.

The rectangular relief depicts King Adolf Frederick of Sweden in profile facing right, wearing a tie-wig, the stars of three Or-ders hanging from his neck, a fourth on his coat, and a fifth on a sash under his truncated right arm. The dappled surface of the background recalls the e¸ects used by Francis van Bossuit (for whom see cat. nos. 98–100). The relief is inscribed on the back : ‘C.A.Lück. Fec.’

The ermine trimming of the jacket, the two oversize slant-ing ‘pigeons’ wings’ tucked into the wig, and the five Orders worn by the sitter (the Saint-Esprit, the Order of St Michael, the Polish-Russian White Eagle and the Swedish Sword Or-der) all identify the sitter as the Swedish king. In addition, this portrait resembles other known portraits of Adolf Freder-ick, for example the painting by Lorenz Pasch the Younger in Gripsholm Castle (Theuerkau¸ 1986, p. 206). Adolf Frederick was Bishop of Lübeck from 1727 to 1750, an o˝ce inherited from his father, Christian Augustus, Duke of Schleswig-Hol-stein-Gottorp and Bishop of Lübeck (1673–1726). Adolf Fred-

erick was elected heir to the Swedish throne in 1743, and came to power in 1751, the probable date of this ivory.

bibliography : Theuerkau¸ 1986, p. 206.

Johann Christoph Ludwig Lückeb. Dresden c.1703 ; d. Danzig 1780

Probably the son, or perhaps the nephew, of Carl August Lücke the Elder (for whom see cat. nos. 73 and 74), and the elder brother of Carl August Lücke the Younger (for whom see cat. no. 75), Johann Christian Ludwig Lücke most likely served his apprenticeship under Balthasar Permoser (for whom see cat. no. 29) in Dresden, and worked there, as well as in Hamburg (1724 and 1747), London (1726), the Netherlands and France, above all as an ivory sculptor. However he also worked in clay, wax, and papiermâché, and provided models for the Meissen porcelain manufactory, and for those at Vienna (1750) and Fürstenberg at Hamburg (1751). He is also recorded in 1752 at Copenhagen, where in 1754 he was granted an annual pension by King Frederick V of Denmark. He was based in Schleswig at the faience manufactory as Master (Fabrikmeister) 1755–6. He was in London again 1760–1, and then once more in Hamburg and in 1767 in Schwerin, before settling in Dresden until his death in 1780. The artist has a deft and imaginative style, seen in his busts, reliefs and figures. ¶ (Theuerkau¸ 1984, p. 79 ; Theuerkau¸ 1986, pp. 193–4 ; TDA 1996, entry by Gerhardt)

[76] Poltrone, or the CaptainStatuette

by Johann Christoph Ludwig Lücke

German (probably Dresden) ; c.1730Ivory on later wood base ; h. of ivory 10.5 cmCondition : goodInv. no. A. 17–1949

Given by Dr W.L. Hildburgh F.S.A. in 1949.

The figure stands on his right foot, his left leg bent, looking to his right, holding a pistol in his right hand, with a sword hanging from his belt. His left hand is clenched. He wears a hat and ragged clothes. The ivory stands on a later hexagonal wood base.

This figure, carved with great finesse and of high qual-ity, was described as ‘a soldier’ at the time of its acquisition, but was subsequently called ‘Poltrone’ in Museum records. Poltrone is a character from the Italian commedia dell’arte, a clumsy soldier. He is often paired with Scaramuccio (Scara-mouche). Such small-scale figures were produced not only in ivory but also in porcelain at the Meissen factory near Dres-den, and at other porcelain factories in Germany. A Meissen porcelain figure identified as The Captain from the commedia dell’arte, which is analogous, though not identical to the pre-sent ivory, is in the George R. Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art in Toronto (Chilton 2001, cat. no. 69).

However both the subject and the attribution of the pre-sent figure are problematic, and epitomize the di˝culties of distinguishing between the work of di¸erent members of the

[75]

[76]

– 95 –– 94 –

germany and austria. the eighteenth century : attributedgermany and austria. the eighteenth century : attributed

Carl August Lücke the Younger b. Dresden c.1710 ; d. perhaps Danzig after 1777

Probably the son, or perhaps the nephew, of Carl August Lücke the Elder (for whom see cat. nos. 73 and 74), and the younger brother of Johann Ludwig Christoph Lücke (for whom see cat. nos. 76–9), Carl Au-gust Lücke the Younger was almost certainly trained in Dresden, and worked there, as well as in Hamburg, as an ivory sculptor. He became court sculptor at Schwerin in 1738, working for Duke Christian Ludwig II of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, and remained there until the death of the Duke in 1756, with the exception of a journey to St Petersburg for a few months in 1754/5. He then returned to St Petersburg and stayed there between 1757 and 1762, with a short visit to Danzig during this time. He was reported to be living in pov-erty in Danzig in 1777. He produced above all small relief portraits in ivory, sometimes repeating details, for example the drapery. ¶ (Möller 2000, p. 76 ; TDA 1996, entry by Gerhardt)

[75] Adolf Frederick, King of Sweden (1710–1771 ; ruled 1751–71)Relief

by Carl August Lücke the Younger (signed)

German ; c.1751Ivory in an ebony and tortoiseshell frame ; h. 15.6 cm (frame) ; 10 cm (ivory alone) ; w. 13.5 cm (frame) ; 6.8 cm. (ivory alone)Condition : the lower left-hand corner broken and repaired ; the back of the frames drilled with two holes for fixing purposes, and slightly damagedInv. nos. A. 6 and a-1965

Given by Cyril Humphris 23 Old Bond Street, London, in 1965. Sold at Sotheby’s, London, 26 March 1965, lot 6 ; bought for £50 by the donor.

The rectangular relief depicts King Adolf Frederick of Sweden in profile facing right, wearing a tie-wig, the stars of three Or-ders hanging from his neck, a fourth on his coat, and a fifth on a sash under his truncated right arm. The dappled surface of the background recalls the e¸ects used by Francis van Bossuit (for whom see cat. nos. 98–100). The relief is inscribed on the back : ‘C.A.Lück. Fec.’

The ermine trimming of the jacket, the two oversize slant-ing ‘pigeons’ wings’ tucked into the wig, and the five Orders worn by the sitter (the Saint-Esprit, the Order of St Michael, the Polish-Russian White Eagle and the Swedish Sword Or-der) all identify the sitter as the Swedish king. In addition, this portrait resembles other known portraits of Adolf Freder-ick, for example the painting by Lorenz Pasch the Younger in Gripsholm Castle (Theuerkau¸ 1986, p. 206). Adolf Frederick was Bishop of Lübeck from 1727 to 1750, an o˝ce inherited from his father, Christian Augustus, Duke of Schleswig-Hol-stein-Gottorp and Bishop of Lübeck (1673–1726). Adolf Fred-

erick was elected heir to the Swedish throne in 1743, and came to power in 1751, the probable date of this ivory.

bibliography : Theuerkau¸ 1986, p. 206.

Johann Christoph Ludwig Lückeb. Dresden c.1703 ; d. Danzig 1780

Probably the son, or perhaps the nephew, of Carl August Lücke the Elder (for whom see cat. nos. 73 and 74), and the elder brother of Carl August Lücke the Younger (for whom see cat. no. 75), Johann Christian Ludwig Lücke most likely served his apprenticeship under Balthasar Permoser (for whom see cat. no. 29) in Dresden, and worked there, as well as in Hamburg (1724 and 1747), London (1726), the Netherlands and France, above all as an ivory sculptor. However he also worked in clay, wax, and papiermâché, and provided models for the Meissen porcelain manufactory, and for those at Vienna (1750) and Fürstenberg at Hamburg (1751). He is also recorded in 1752 at Copenhagen, where in 1754 he was granted an annual pension by King Frederick V of Denmark. He was based in Schleswig at the faience manufactory as Master (Fabrikmeister) 1755–6. He was in London again 1760–1, and then once more in Hamburg and in 1767 in Schwerin, before settling in Dresden until his death in 1780. The artist has a deft and imaginative style, seen in his busts, reliefs and figures. ¶ (Theuerkau¸ 1984, p. 79 ; Theuerkau¸ 1986, pp. 193–4 ; TDA 1996, entry by Gerhardt)

[76] Poltrone, or the CaptainStatuette

by Johann Christoph Ludwig Lücke

German (probably Dresden) ; c.1730Ivory on later wood base ; h. of ivory 10.5 cmCondition : goodInv. no. A. 17–1949

Given by Dr W.L. Hildburgh F.S.A. in 1949.

The figure stands on his right foot, his left leg bent, looking to his right, holding a pistol in his right hand, with a sword hanging from his belt. His left hand is clenched. He wears a hat and ragged clothes. The ivory stands on a later hexagonal wood base.

This figure, carved with great finesse and of high qual-ity, was described as ‘a soldier’ at the time of its acquisition, but was subsequently called ‘Poltrone’ in Museum records. Poltrone is a character from the Italian commedia dell’arte, a clumsy soldier. He is often paired with Scaramuccio (Scara-mouche). Such small-scale figures were produced not only in ivory but also in porcelain at the Meissen factory near Dres-den, and at other porcelain factories in Germany. A Meissen porcelain figure identified as The Captain from the commedia dell’arte, which is analogous, though not identical to the pre-sent ivory, is in the George R. Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art in Toronto (Chilton 2001, cat. no. 69).

However both the subject and the attribution of the pre-sent figure are problematic, and epitomize the di˝culties of distinguishing between the work of di¸erent members of the

[75]

[76]

– 123 –– 122 –

the netherlands : the sixteenth century

Gerardus JansenNothing is known about this artist. See the entry below.

[97] Scenes from the Parable of the Prodigal SonShoe-horn (?)

by Gerardus Jansen (dates unknown) (signed)

Netherlandish ; dated 1596Cow horn ; length 40.5 cmCondition : the base is chipped. A hole has been drilled at the top for suspensionInv.no. 8994–1863

Bought for £3 4s. 2d. in Berlin in 1863 (vendor unrecorded).

The cow horn is adorned with four engraved scenes darkened with ink illustrating scenes from the parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15 : 11–32 ; Hall 1980, pp. 53–4). It is signed and dated ‘1596. GERARDVS JANSEN FECIT’ at the top in two cartouches. The shadow of the pulp cavity of the horn is visible on the concave back, and the horn has darkened to a yellow-brown at the top. This piece was probably always a decorative item, and never functioned as a shoe-horn, a term which may indeed be a later, even mistaken, description. The style of the piece, as well as the name of the artist, suggest this is Netherlandish, and that the date of 1596 is genuine.

bibliography : Inventory 1863, p. 36 ; Longhurst II 1929, p. 72.

the netherlands. the seventeenth century : attributed

Francis van Bossuit b. Brussels 1635 ; d. Amsterdam 1692

Van Bossuit trained in Brussels and Antwerp, before going to Italy in about 1655/60, where he became a member of the Netherlandish artists’ guild in Rome, which had links with the Florentine Academy in Rome, and through which he may have had some contact with Balthasar Permoser (for whom see cat. no. 29). By 1685 he had returned to the Netherlands, and was based in Amsterdam thenceforth. He specialized in ivory reliefs, which exhibit a virtuoso handling of surface. In 1727 Matthew Pool (1670–1732) published a book in Amsterdam illustrating many of these, in the form of engravings after drawings by Barent Graat (1628–1709). ¶ (Theuerkau¸ (Bossuit) 1975 ; Theuerkau¸ 1984, pp. 24–8 ; TDA 1996, entry by Lawrence ; Baker 1997 ; Baker 1998)

[98] David with the head of Goliathby Francis van Bossuit

Relief

South Netherlandish ; c.1675–92Ivory ; h. 10.3 cm ; w. 18.6 cmCondition : good. On the back is a paper label with the typed inscription : ‘Francis Van Bossuit/ 1635–1692 Brussels’. A small rectangle approximately 3 cm across of a rubbery substance has been a˝xed to the upper right corner of the backInv. no. A.3–1989

Bought for £21,000 from Luke Rittner in 1989 ; formerly on loan from Miss Mary Dorothy Rittner, via Anthony Bartlett.The young beardless David is shown reclining, wearing loose drapery which reveals his upper body and legs, holding a

sword in his left hand, and resting his right arm on Goliath’s head (Hall 1980, pp. 92–3). The relief is illustrated in Matthew Pool’s published engravings of van Bossuit’s work, The Stat-ue’s or Art’s Cabinet of 1727 (for which see Tardy 1966, p. 111, Theuerkau¸ (Bossuit) 1975, pp. 125–6, and Baker 1997, pp. 72–4). Both the smooth carving of David’s body, resembling wax, and the contrasting rough dappling of the background, are typical of the artist. A closely similar relief of the same subject also by Bossuit is in the Bayerisches Nationalmuseum, Munich (Theuerkau¸ (Bossuit) 1975, cat. no. 6, fig. 18 on p. 130).

A marble chimneypiece tablet based on this composition, dating from about 1770, was auctioned at Christie’s, London (Nigel Bartlett Collection, sold at Pimlico), 14 September 2005, lot 34.

[97]Detail [97]

[98]

– 123 –– 122 –

the netherlands : the sixteenth century

Gerardus JansenNothing is known about this artist. See the entry below.

[97] Scenes from the Parable of the Prodigal SonShoe-horn (?)

by Gerardus Jansen (dates unknown) (signed)

Netherlandish ; dated 1596Cow horn ; length 40.5 cmCondition : the base is chipped. A hole has been drilled at the top for suspensionInv.no. 8994–1863

Bought for £3 4s. 2d. in Berlin in 1863 (vendor unrecorded).

The cow horn is adorned with four engraved scenes darkened with ink illustrating scenes from the parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15 : 11–32 ; Hall 1980, pp. 53–4). It is signed and dated ‘1596. GERARDVS JANSEN FECIT’ at the top in two cartouches. The shadow of the pulp cavity of the horn is visible on the concave back, and the horn has darkened to a yellow-brown at the top. This piece was probably always a decorative item, and never functioned as a shoe-horn, a term which may indeed be a later, even mistaken, description. The style of the piece, as well as the name of the artist, suggest this is Netherlandish, and that the date of 1596 is genuine.

bibliography : Inventory 1863, p. 36 ; Longhurst II 1929, p. 72.

the netherlands. the seventeenth century : attributed

Francis van Bossuit b. Brussels 1635 ; d. Amsterdam 1692

Van Bossuit trained in Brussels and Antwerp, before going to Italy in about 1655/60, where he became a member of the Netherlandish artists’ guild in Rome, which had links with the Florentine Academy in Rome, and through which he may have had some contact with Balthasar Permoser (for whom see cat. no. 29). By 1685 he had returned to the Netherlands, and was based in Amsterdam thenceforth. He specialized in ivory reliefs, which exhibit a virtuoso handling of surface. In 1727 Matthew Pool (1670–1732) published a book in Amsterdam illustrating many of these, in the form of engravings after drawings by Barent Graat (1628–1709). ¶ (Theuerkau¸ (Bossuit) 1975 ; Theuerkau¸ 1984, pp. 24–8 ; TDA 1996, entry by Lawrence ; Baker 1997 ; Baker 1998)

[98] David with the head of Goliathby Francis van Bossuit

Relief

South Netherlandish ; c.1675–92Ivory ; h. 10.3 cm ; w. 18.6 cmCondition : good. On the back is a paper label with the typed inscription : ‘Francis Van Bossuit/ 1635–1692 Brussels’. A small rectangle approximately 3 cm across of a rubbery substance has been a˝xed to the upper right corner of the backInv. no. A.3–1989

Bought for £21,000 from Luke Rittner in 1989 ; formerly on loan from Miss Mary Dorothy Rittner, via Anthony Bartlett.The young beardless David is shown reclining, wearing loose drapery which reveals his upper body and legs, holding a

sword in his left hand, and resting his right arm on Goliath’s head (Hall 1980, pp. 92–3). The relief is illustrated in Matthew Pool’s published engravings of van Bossuit’s work, The Stat-ue’s or Art’s Cabinet of 1727 (for which see Tardy 1966, p. 111, Theuerkau¸ (Bossuit) 1975, pp. 125–6, and Baker 1997, pp. 72–4). Both the smooth carving of David’s body, resembling wax, and the contrasting rough dappling of the background, are typical of the artist. A closely similar relief of the same subject also by Bossuit is in the Bayerisches Nationalmuseum, Munich (Theuerkau¸ (Bossuit) 1975, cat. no. 6, fig. 18 on p. 130).

A marble chimneypiece tablet based on this composition, dating from about 1770, was auctioned at Christie’s, London (Nigel Bartlett Collection, sold at Pimlico), 14 September 2005, lot 34.

[97]Detail [97]

[98]