ANTOINE-MARIE MELOTTE, SOUTHERN NETHERLANDISH, LIÈGE, 1753 | PAIR OF EQUESTRIAN BATTLE SCENES

Probably acquired by Nathaniel Clements (1705-1777) or his grand-son Nathaniel Clements, 2nd Earl of Leitrim, KP PC (Ire) (1768-1854)

Inventory, 10th February 1812 (manuscript addition 1829), '2 carved Battle Pieces in Brass + Ebony frames' in the Entrance Hall;

Inventory, April 1830, 'Two Battle Pieces in Brass and Ebony Frames' in the Entrance Hall;

Inventory, 27th June 1836, 'Two large carvings in wood framed in Boule and Brass, these carvings represent the Battle of the amazons brought from Lord Leitrim’s house in Sackville street – Dublin' in the Entrance Hall.

These magnificent and large scenes are a testament to the tradition of Baroque wood carving in the Flemish city of Liège in the 18th century. They are signed by one of the last great Flemish Baroque wood carvers, Antoine-Marie Melotte, who trained under the important sculptor Simon Cognoulle (1687-1744). Cognoulle was responsible for producing a series of wood reliefs carved after Le Brun's paintings of the life of Alexander the Great, which were acquired by Louis XIV and installed at Fontainebleau (Philippot, op. cit., p. 1022). Melotte followed his master in carving grand battle scenes in wood. His most important patron was Catherine the Great of Russia, who acquired his Magnanimity of Alexander the Great and King Porus Abandoned by His Army (both now in the Hermitage, inv. nos. H.CK-1426 and H.CK-1430). A set of his six reliefs with battles of Alexander is in the collection of Count Gustavus of Ansemburg in Brussels. Melotte was also responsible for the statues for the rood screen in St Bartholomew's church in Liège. 

RELATED LITERATURE

P. Philippot (et al.), L'Architecture religieuse et la Sculpture Baroque dans les Pays-Bas méridionaux et la principauté de Liège, 1600-1770, Sprimont, 2003, p. 1022