Aegidius Verelst the Elder (1696-1749), Flemish, second quarter 18th century

Air with a white label inscribed: 20.133. in black ink on the underside

Drouot Paris, 23-25 November 1911, no. 231

P. Volk, Gullielmus de Grof (1676-1742). Studien zur Plastik am Kurbayerischen Hof im 18. Jahrhundert, Frankfurt, 1966, p. 115;
A. Schädler, 'Erwerbungsbericht Bayerisches Nationalmuseums', Münchner Jahrbuch der bildenden Kunst, XXII (1971), p. 240;
D. Dietrich, Aegid Verhelst 1696-1749. Ein flämischer Bildhauer in Süddeutschland, Weissenhorn, 1986, p. 136, figs. 76-77, p. 138 and pp. 236-37, no. 17

Overall the condition of the lead is very good. There is some minor wear and dirt to the surface consistent with age. There are minor nicks and scratches throughout the surface consistent with the softness of the material. There is a stable fissure under the proper right arm of fire and a slightly open, patched joint at his proper left elbow. Water has a stable fissure to her proper right ankle. There are some further, minor stable casting fissures, particularly in the crevices of the drapery. The slightly warped base of Air and Fire is reinforced with a wood plank. The bottom slab of one of the marble bases is loose. THe same base has a chip to one of the corners.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

It is on the basis of a 100-year-old image of this signed pair of allegorical groups that a large part of Aegidius Verelst's body of work was reconstructed. With the reappearance of these figures these attributions cannot only be consolidated, two further beautifully cast and remarkably well-preserved lead groups are added to the series in the Rijksmuseum and Bayerisches Nationalmuseum.

Verelst (or Verhelst) holds a special position in the history of 18th-century sculpture. He was trained as a woodcarver in Antwerp under the influence of the great Flemish Baroque sculptors but moved to the Munich court to work with Wilhelm de Grof during a period of transition between late-Baroque and Rococo. As such Verelst became one of the few important sculptors in Bavaria able to suit both the taste for secular sculpture at the court and religious works for churches throughout the state.

The repetition of a distinct figural type was typical of Verelst's work. It enabled Schädler and later Verelst's biographer Dietrich to compile a body of work which illustrates his reuse of his models in different contexts. The charming personification of Water on the signed group, recognisable by finely modelled pearl and shell decorations in the hair, is repeated at least three other times. The same female figure with other attributes represents Spring as a single figure in the Amsterdam quartet (inv. RBK 16447a-d), as part of a group on the hammered copper garden ornament in Augsburg (inv. 3847) and in the group showing Spring with Winter in Munich (inv. 70/109). The present lead groups are generally closest to the Munich Winter and Spring and Summer and Autumn groups. The same compositional principle is used (a standing girl with a seated boy and vice versa) and even though the bases do not seem to be of the same size they are all of a similar height.

RELATED LITERATURE
J. Leeuwenberg en W. Halsema-Kubes, Beeldhouwkunst in het Rijksmuseum, The Hague/ Amsterdam, 1973, pp. 284-85, no. 392