Attributed to Jean-Joseph Espercieux (1757-1840) French, circa 1812

Overall the condition of the marble is very good with minor dirt and wear to the surface consistent with age. There are a few small naturally occurring inclusions to the marble. There is minor veining to the marble consistent with material, particularly to the torso, to the back and to the proper right elbow. A portion of the rear side of the base is carved separately and a joint is visible. There are dirt marks in particular to the base and the proper right arm. There are some small chips and abrasions.
"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."

This very finely carved Neoclassical marble group of Ulysses and Argos represents an episode in the life of Ulysses from Homer’s Odyssey:

As they were talking together, a hound that was lying there lifted his head and pricked up his ears. This was Argos, whom [Ulysses] himself had bred and trained: but he had not much good of him before he went away to the war... When he knew that it was his old master near him, he wagged his tail and dropped both his ears’. (Rouse, op. cit.).

This touching scene is beautifully realised in a pure Neoclassical style that is typical of Jean-Joseph Espercieux's work. Originally from Marseille, Espercieux was a student of Bridan in 1776 and close friend of the painter Jacques Louis David. He was appointed chairman of the Republican People’s Society of the Arts, and was politically active during the revolution. Within this society there was much discussion about developing theories in the style of the time, arguing that they should outlaw in the arts "anything that is not patriotic". He even proposed to change the costume of the era and simply return to the helmet and the Greek chlamys. Espercieux worked on many high profile commissions, including; his life-size statue of Peace which he completed in 1802 for the façade of the Palais du Luxembourg, a statue of Napoleon l in the Senate (room 1808).

According to Lami, Espercieux exhibited a marble entitled Ulysse reconnu par son chien at the Paris Salon of 1812. Jean-Auguste Barre later presented his own version of Espercieux’s model at the Salon of 1834, which is now in the gardens of the Château de Compiègne. Barre's marble is essentially the present composition in reverse, with the staff held in a different position. It clearly derives from the present model, indicating that the present marble is the group exhibited by Espercieux at the Salon of 1812. Moreover, the group finds strong comparables in Espercieux's wider oeuvre. Compare, for example, with his Warrior also in the gardens at Compiègne. The anatomical treatment of the torso with prominent rib-cage is very close, as is the prominent beard and ringlets in the hair.

RELATED LITERATURE

S. Lami, Dictionnaire des sculpteurs français du XVIIIe siècle, Paris, 1910, p. 321-324; W.H.D. Rouse (trans.),The Odyssey, New American Library, 1937, p. 184