Italie, XVIIe siècle, d'après l'Antique Paire de Dieux fleuves, le Tibre et le Nil

Ancienne collection Jacques Guerlain.

J. Warren, Beauty and Power. Renaissance and Baroque Bronzes from the Peter Marino collection, Londres, 2010, pp. 166-172; R. Wenley, French Bronzes in the Wallace collection, Londres, 2002, pp. 38-41.

River god with Wolf The patina on the torso of the river god has numerous small old losses which has been matched in with the colour to the bronze overall. There is some more extensive wear to the patina on his left hand, laurel wreath and cornucopia and on his right elbow and surrounding drapery. The bronze is lose on the base. There is minor surface dirt otherwise the condition is good. River god with Sphinx The patina overall has numerous small old losses which have been matched in with the colour of the bronze overall. There are some minor losses to the patina on the river god's left foot and small areas of more extensive wear on his left knee and toes. There is minor surface dirt, otherwise the condition is good.
"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."

Le modèle antique du Tibre fut découvert à Rome en 1512 (aujourd'hui au Louvre), et aussitôt acquis par le pape Jules II. Le Nil, quant à lui, est mentionné pour la première fois en 1523 (Vatican). A la demande de François Ier, le Primatice réalisera une copie grandeur nature en bronze du Tibre pour le château de Fontainebleau et Pierre Bourdict (1684-1711) en fera un marbre grandeur nature entre 1685 et 1690 (Tuileries). En 1687, Lorenzo Ottone (1658–1736) réalisera son pendant, le Nil, en marbre grandeur nature. Les réductions en bronze des Dieux Fleuves étaient particulièrement recherchées dès le XVIIe siècle et le sculpteur François Girardon en possédait deux paires de tailles différentes dans sa collection '...figure en bronze coppie d'après l'antique sur son pied d'estal d'ébeine'...Nous connaissons d'autres fontes en bronze, réalisées vers 1700 en France, dont la paire des Dieux Fleuves de la Wallace Collection, une paire à Dresde, une autre à la Huntington Library de San Marino, et une paire de bronzes de taille exceptionnelle (larg. 74 cm) appartenant à la collection de Peter Marino (cf. J. Warren, op. cit.). Rares sont les exemplaires de petite taille, fondus en Italie au XVIIe siècle, comme la belle paire de bronzes présentée ici.