Importante statuette de Marie Madeleine agenouillée en ivoire Flandres, vers 1680, Entourage de Francis Van Bossuit (1635-1692)

sur un socle carré en bois noirci moderne

Ancienne collection La Rochefoucauld

Références bibliographiques:
C. Theuerkauff, Die Bildwerke in Elfenbein des 16. - 19. Jahrhunderts, Staatliche Museen Preussischer Kulturbesitz, Berlin, 1986, p. 250, cat. no 68.
Cat. exp. La sculpture au siècle de Rubens, Musée d'Art Ancien, Bruxelles, 1977, p. 208, no. 169.
M. Lefftz, Jean del Cour (1631-1707). Un émule du Bernin à Liège, cat. exp. Liège, 2007, p. 79, fig. 79.

This important ivory figure is finely carved as a massive piece in the full depth of the ivory tusk, with the exception of the right outstretched arm which has been carved separately (slightly loose). There is surface dust to her face and at several places to the body, especially to her hair and in the deep folds of her dress, which may be easily removed by a soft and careful cleaning. The ivory appears to be light creme coloured and slightly darker to the lower back of her dress due to differences in exposure to sunlight. The surface of the ivory shows a fine veined texture caracteristic for ivory which may be revealed by a soft cleaning of the surface. As can be seen on the photograph, there appear a few very fine hairline cracks at several places, consistent with age and handling, such as to her right outstretched arm and to the folds of her dress. Very rare piece of exceptionnal sculptural quality and size.
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Agenouillée, Madeleine est vêtue d'une robe à manches retroussées aux coudes, moulant son corps. Le drapé fluide aux plis mouvementés du manteau, ses cheveux longs détachés retombant sur les épaules et le geste de ses mains soulignent son attitude de déploration. Cette remarquable statuette en ivoire est tout à fait caractéristique des oeuvres réalisées vers 1680 dans les Pays méridionaux notamment dans l'entourage d'artistes comme Artus Quellinus l'Ancien (1609-1668) et Francis van Bossuit (1635-1692). Formés dans leur pays d'origine, à Bruxelles et Anvers, ces deux artistes flamands, Quellinus et Van Bossuit ont ensuite séjourné en Italie pour étudier la sculpture antique, et subir l'influence des sculpteurs romains, tels Duquesnoy et le Bernin.
Par ailleurs, la nervosité et le mouvement du drapé font penser aux oeuvres de Jean del Cour (1631-1701), sculpteur d'origine liégoise formé à Rome.
L'ivoire est d'une qualité exceptionnelle, on remarque sa monumentalité et la virtuosité du modelé d'un seul bloc d'ivoire, le raffinement des détails rappellant une influence berninesque du plus pur style baroque.