Name: AFTER GAETANO MERCHI (ITALIAN, 1747-1823), 19TH CENTURY
Brand: Mademoiselle Marie-Madeleine Guimard
Price: 1000.00 GBP
Availability: SoldOut

AFTER GAETANO MERCHI (ITALIAN, 1747-1823), 19TH CENTURY
Mademoiselle Marie-Madeleine Guimard
Terracotta bust; inscribed 'Merchi. f 1769', her veiled hair brushed up and back and decorated with roses, leaves and berries, her face gazing up to the left, her dress secured off one shoulder and enriched over the left breast with ivy, on a grey marble socle
43 in. (109 cm.) high with socle; 19 in. (48 cm.) wide

Mrs. James de Rothschild, sale; Christie's, London, 29 June 1972, lot 21, described in that catalogue as 18th century.

Specified lots (sold and unsold) marked with a filled square ( ¦ ) not collected from Christie’s, 8 King Street, London SW1Y 6QT by 5.00pm on the day of the sale will, at our option, be removed to Crozier Park Royal (details below). Christie’s will inform you if the lot has been sent offsite.If the lot is transferred to Crozier Park Royal, it will be available for collection from 12.00pm on the second business day following the sale.Please call Christie’s Client Service 24 hours in advance to book a collection time at Crozier Park Royal. All collections from Crozier Park Royal will be by pre-booked appointment only.Tel: +44 (0)20 7839 9060 Email: cscollectionsuk@christies.com.If the lot remains at Christie’s, 8 King Street, it will be available for collection on any working day (not weekends) from 9.00am to 5.00pm
Please note this lot is the property of a consumer. See H1 of the Conditions of Sale.

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Lot Essay

Originally from Brescia, Gaetano Merchi left Italy for Saint Petersburg where he found himself under the patronage of Empress Catherine II. In 1777, he traveled to Paris where he studied at the Académie Royale of Painting and Sculpture and became known for his portraits of famous contemporary actresses, like the subject of our present lot, Marie-Madeleine Guimard. A star of the Parisian stage and one of the most notorious lovers of 18th century France, Mademoiselle Guimard is equally known today for her artistic legacy. A sitter for Fragonard and David, Guimard had a huge neo-classical palace designed for her in Paris by Claude-Nicholas Ledoux. A marble version of the current bust signed by Merchi with date 1779 is currently in the V&A (A.71-1952).