Circle of Jean-Guillaume Moitte (1746-1810) French, late 18th/ early 19th century

Overall the condition of the bronze is very good with minor dirt and wear to the surface consistent with age. There are a few very small nicks, including to the curtain and to the back of the Klismos chair. There are one or two small casting lacunae, including one to the top of the scene to the right of the cithara. The bronze frame is cast in sections and joints are visible. There are minor casting flaws to the frame, including a rough edge on the left side (the top of a bronze veneer). There are also nicks and scratches throughout. There are a few small original plugs, mostly along the bottom side. The bronze veneer which once covered the right side of the frame is lost, and adhesive residues are visible.
"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 cast relief is compositionally similar to the work of the important French Neoclassical sculptor and draughtsman Jean-Guillaume Moitte; compare, for example, with his drawing Orphée en enfer in the Musée du Louvre (inv. no. RF41646). The severe neoclassism and interest in contextual details witnessed in the present bronze can also be seen in a bronze Chariot of the Seasons after Philippe-Laurent Roland (1746-1816) in the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris (inv. no. 15202). Note also Roland's stone bas-relief of Le Sacrifice du taureau of 1783, which adorns the hôtel de Salm, Paris (Draper and Scherf, op. cit. p. 160, fig. 87).

The present relief documents an episode from the Trojan War, when Priam, King of Troy, meets with his enemy Achilles and begs for the return of the body of his son, Hector.

RELATED LITERATURE:
S. Lami, Dictionnaire des sculpteurs de l’école française au dix-huitième siècle. II, 1911, pp. 164-169; J. D. Draper and G. Scherf (eds.), L'esprit créateur de Pigalle à Canova. Terres cuites européennes 1740-1840, exh. cat. Musée du Louvre, Paris, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York and Nationalmuseum, Stockholm, Paris, 2003, pp. 159-161, no. 62, fig. 87; G. Bresc-Bautier and G. Scherf (eds.), Cast in Bronze. French Sculpture from Renaissance to Revolution, exh. cat. Musée du Louvre, Paris, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York and The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, Paris, 2009, pp. 494-495, no. 144