Marius-Jean-Antonin Mercié

A. B. Fonsmark, pp. 196, 224, 224

P. Kjellberg, p. 490

Romantic to Rodin, pp 303-304, no. 166 

Overall in good condition with the usual minor scratches, wear and discoloration to patina consistent with age and use. Minor dents and nicks in places to surface. Slight traces of dirt.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

David Aprés Le Combat, also known as David Vainqueur, brought Mercié a Medal of the First Class, and the Croix de la Légion d' Honneur, making him the only artist to receive it while still a student. It had been modelled during Mercié's sejourn in Rome at the French Academy and was undoubtedly an extremely bold statement which begged comparison with seminal works of the Renaissance by Verrocchio, Donatello and Michelangelo. Mercié's youthful hero, however, could never be mistaken for a Renaissance work, with its effete charm and overtones of orientalism.

An example was commissionned by the French state and exhibited at the World Exhibitions in Vienna in 1873 and Paris in 1878. This example is today to be found in the Musée d' Orsay in Paris.