Lot 327
  • 327

French, circa 1760

Estimate
60,000 - 80,000 USD
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Description

  • Daedalus attaching wings to Icarus
  • parcel-gilt bronze
  • French, circa 1760

Provenance

Probably Abel-François Poisson de Vandières, Marquis de Marigny et de Menars
Probably Marigny-Paris sale, 18 March-6 April 1782

Condition

Standard surface abrasions and rubbing. Some original casting joins are slightly visible and some with lead (which is standard). Remains of dark reddish brown lacquer throughout. Beautifully chased, particularly in the wings, hair, and base. Minor abrasions to base.
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.

Catalogue Note

Abel-François Poisson de Vandières, marquis de Marigny and marquis de Menars (1727 – 1781), often referred to simply as marquis de Marigny, was a French nobleman and one of the most important patrons of art and architecture who served as the Directeur Général de bâtiments, jardins, arts, academies et manufactures du Roi  from 1751 to 1773. He was also the brother of King Louis XV's influential mistress, Madame de Pompadour, and her heir.
The marquis' art collections and estates were extensive and the inventory of his holdings is one of the most detailed records of an important private collection in the 18th century. He owned a multitude of works of art that were gifts from Louis XV and as Madame de Pompadour's heir, many of his pieces came from her royal apartments.
The subject of Daedalus attaching his son's wings was uncommon in 18th century sculpture. A cast of this composition was in the French Bronze exhibition in 1968 and another is in the Minneapolis Institute of Art (no. 71.6). The present cast of Daedalus and Icarus is the only  known partially gilt example. A bronze of this description was noted in the marquis's posthumous inventory as number 981 (Alden, cit., p. 311, no. 917) and reads:

Item Icare attachant des ailes a Son fils groupe en bronze son pié de Cuivre doré prisé  prisé quarante [sic] Cent Vingt Liv. Cy 120

This bronze was sold in the sale of his estate: Vente Menars no. 239 pour 200 livres.

The present cast would have complemented other bronzes in the marquis's collection including four bronze groups by Algardi, Girardon and Schobal, from the Salon Ovale in the King's apartments at Versailles, and with Lemoyne's bronze of Louis XV raised on a shield by three soldiers (now in the Louvre). The latter was purchased by Basan, probably an agent for the comte Grimod d'Orsay, like the gilt bronze of Daedalus and Icarus.
Daedalus, the architect, inventor, and craftsman of Greek legend, is shown attaching wings to the back of his son, Icarus. According to Ovid's recounting of the ancient myth, Daedalus fabricated wings of feathers and wax in order to escape the island of Crete, where he and his son were held captive by King Minos. Disregarding his father’s advice, Icarus flew too close to the sun. The wax melted and he fell into the sea and drowned. The myth of Daedalus and Icarus has remained a popular parable about heeding one’s elders, the dangers of excessive ambition and pride, and the benefits and risks of technological progress.

RELATED LITERATURE
The French Bronze 1500-1800, exhibition catalogue, New York, M. Knoedler & Co., 1968, no. 34;
Alden R. Gordon, The houses and collections of the Marquis de Marigny,  Provenance Index of the Getty Research Institute, 2003, p. 128, no. 917:
Geneviève Bresc-Bautier, Guilhem Scherf and James D. Draper (eds.), Cast in Bronze. French Sculpture from Renaissance to Revolution, Paris, 2009