Attributed to Jan Pieter van Baurscheit II (1699-1768), Flemish, Antwerp, 1733

An hôtel in Faubourg Saint-Germain, Paris;
Sotheby's Monaco, 17 June 1989, lot 899

Overall the condition of the terracottas is very good with minor dirt and wear to the surfaces consistent with age. The following additional comments can be noted: Sight: There are areas of possible restoration to Sight's neck and to the index finger of her proper right hand. She has an area of stable hairline firing fissures around her legs, base and to the back of her head. There are some areas of greening to the crevices. Taste: There are a few minor stable firing fissures to the reverse and two reattached chips to the drapery at the proper right thigh and to the side of the proper right hip. There is a stable firing fissure to the inside of the proper left ankle and there is an area of possible restoration to the proper left foot. Touch: There are minor stable firing fissures to the reverse. There are a few minor losses to the tips of the curls. There are some minor losses to the edges of the base. Smell: There are minor firing cracks to the reverse. There is an area of possible fire damage to the back of the head. There is an area of restoration to the proper right hand, elbow and probably minor restoration to the toes of the proper right foot. The proper left forearm is reattached. There is a chip to the drapery to the left of the proper left leg.
"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 rare to find a well-preserved set of large Baroque terracottas of such fine quality. Each of the four putti in this set of four Senses was sensitively individualised and finished to the highest degree.

Ensembles of putti in the guise of temporal subjects such as the senses, seasons or elements were particularly sought after in the Netherlands, where they decorated the town houses and country seats of its wealthy merchant population. Terracotta was a favoured material as its malleability yielded the most successful rendering of the figures' varied characters and high detail. The coy demeanor of Taste and the pleasure with which Sight peers through her telescope would therefore have been much appreciated. 

One of the most successful workshops which produced this type of sculpture was that of the Van Baurscheit family in Antwerp. Originated by Jan Pieter van Baurscheit the Elder in the late 17^th century, it provided architectural designs and carved decorations for major buildings in the Netherlands, Germany and England. In Oud Konst-tonneel van Antwerpen (1775) Van der Sanden notes the workshop's ability to model light-hearted figures.

Several drawn designs for allegorical putti by Jan Pieter van Baurscheit the Younger closely resemble the present quartet. Good examples include a sheet with four putti representing the Elements illustrated in Europäische Barock am Niederrhein (op.cit., no. 194)  preserved in the Prentenkabinet in Antwerp, which, despite showing the putti with different attributes, display the same swaying poses, plump anatomy and distinction between male and female putti that are prominent in this set. Note in particular the resemblance between the stance, expression and hairstyle of the figures of Earth and Taste. Furthermore, drawings for four groups of infant gods in Brussels include a female figure closely resembling Smell and a wild-haired male putto similar to the snake-bitten Touch (see Jansen and Van Herck, nos. CVH 220 and 252).

Jan Pieter the Younger assumed responsibility of the workshop at the time of his father's death in 1728 and would have therefore been responsible for this set dated 1733. During that year he was active in Zeeland, part of the Northern Netherlands. In and around the major port-cities Middelburg and Vlissingen he designed mansions for prominent members of the West India Company. Assuming he provided interior decorations around the same time the houses were finished, these putti could have come from the country house Sint Jan te Heere (1732-1736) which was demolished in the 19^th century.

RELATED LITERATURE
J. van der Sanden, Oud Konst-tonneel van Antwerpen, Antwerp, 1775, part 3, p. 287 (unpublished manuscript, Stadsarchief Antwerpen, Priviligiekamer, inv. No. 173); A. Janssen en C. van Herck, J.P. van Baurscheit I en J.P. van Baurscheit II, Antwerp, 1942, pp. 46-56; C. Theuerkauff (ed.), Europäische Barockplastik am Niederrhein. Grupello und seine Zeit, exh. cat. Kunstmuseum Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, 1971, pp. 261-262, no. 194, fig. 143a; I. Breedveldt Boer, Tekenen en vasseren. Het bedrijf van Jan Pieter van Baurscheit (1699-1768) en de architectuur in het tweede kwart van de 18^de eeuw, Utrecht, 2003