Marie d'Orléans

Overall the condition of the bronze is very good. There is dirt and wear to the patina consistent with age, including at the proper right hand holding the sword and at the tip of the proper right foot. There is some glue at the proper left side of the neck. There are a few areas of black spotting, including to the proper left hip and proper left arm at the elbow. The sword is cast separately and can be detached as originally intended.
"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."

Following Pradier's failure to produce a satisfactory model for a statue of Joan of Arc for Versailles, Louis-Philippe gave the commission to his daughter in 1835. Assisted by her teacher, the painter Ary Scheffer, Princess Marie created a powerful representation of the French heroine, whose introspective pose signifies her deep piety. After Princess Marie's untimely death aged only twenty-five, her Jeanne d'Arc came to represent her own admired qualities and resulted in the commission of a replica of the statue for Orléans and the production of statuettes by the Susse foundry such as the present fine cast.

RELATED LITERATURE
P. Fusco and H. W. Janson (eds.), The Romantics to Rodin. French Nineteenth-Century Sculpture from North American Collections, ex. cat. Los Angeles County Museum of Art in association with George Braziller, Inc., Los Angeles, 1980, pp. 311-312, no. 173