Francesco Righetti I,1738 - 1819 Portrait du diplomate José Nicolàs de Azara (1730-1804) Rome, 1792, d'après un modèle de Christopher Hewetson (1737-1798)

REFERENCES BIBLIOGRAPHIQUES:
G. Scherf, L'Antiquité rêvée. Innovations et résistances au XVIIIe siècle, Paris, musée du Louvre, 2011, p. 406-407, n° 136.
H. Honnour, 'Italian Bronze statuettes', dans The Connoisseur, november 1961, p. 198 - 205.

Very good condition overall with wear to the surface of the bronze as can be seen on the photograph, consistent with age and handling. A few scratches especially to the tip of his nose, cheek and forehead, and edges of shoulders, which can be easily refreshed. The cartouche in the front indicated probably the title of the sitter. Very attractive and fine cast.
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José Nicolas de Azara (1730-1804) fut l'ambassadeur d'Espagne, et un proche ami du peintre Anton Raphael Mengs (1728-1779). Le portrait du diplomate a été réalisé en marbre en 1781 par le sculpteur irlandais Christopher Hewetson (1737-1798) pour faire pendant à l'effigie de son ami peintre, tous deux conservés à la Promoteca Capitolina à Rome. Une paire des deux hommes en bronze se trouve à la Bibliothèque Mazarine à Paris (cf. op. cit). Un troisième portrait en bronze de Azara, identique au nôtre, a été acquis récemment par le musée national Colegio de San Gregorio à Valladolid. Le pendant de notre bronze, le portrait de Mengs fondu aussi en 1792 par Righetti, est conservé à Williamstown, au Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute (cf. Gazette des Beaux Arts, 1999, p. 58, fig. 218).
Nous remercions Dr. Chiara Teolato qui prépare une thèse sur Francesco Righetti pour ses indications précieuses.