François Girardon (1628-1715) French, circa 1690-1700

Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé, Paris

Overall the condition of the bronze is good with minor wear and dirt to the surface consistent with age. There are some minor lacunae in the hair due to casting flaws. Two small original square plugs are visible on the right cheek and under the chin on the proper left side. There is a small plug in the hair on the proper right side. A stable hairline fissure runs up from the edge of the neck at the front. There are a few dirt marks to the face. The head sits on a base which is partially carved to complete the King's hair. There are a few minor chips to the base and some areas of wear to the paint. There are the remains of two old paper labels to the underside of the 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. 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."

The present bronze is of the same dimensions as the head of the bronze portrait of Louis XIV on horseback in the Prado, Madrid, but seems to show a slightly more aged King. Since the Sun King is thought to have shaved off his moustache around 1690 (see Maumené/ d'Harcourt, op.cit.), this portrait of the king was probably modelled in the 1690s, when the king was in his fifties.

The young Girardon studied in Rome at the expense of Louis XIV's chancellor Séguier and worked in the Paris studio of the Anguier family from about 1650. His talents and his early association with Charles Le Brun, future First Painter to the King, led to his rapid rise to pre-eminence. He worked with Le Brun at the Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte, where the opulent classicism that found its finest expression at Versailles was first developed. From the 1660s onwards Girardon contributed major works to the gardens and palace at Versailles. His later works, such as the magnificent equestrian statue of Louis XIV (1685–92; destroyed) for what is now the Place Vendôme in Paris, continue the trend towards a more dynamic concept of sculpture. Girardon was also a notable collector of sculpture.

During the reign of Louis XV, many bronzes were stamped with a hallmark made of a crown placed above the letter C. This relates to a tax imposed in 1745 on objects made of bronze and copper. The edict of that year specified that both old and new bronzes should be checked and marked. The tax was suspended in 1749.

RELATED LITERATURE
C. Maumené and L. d’Harcourt, ‘Iconographie des rois de France. II. Louis XIV, Louis V, Louis XVI’, Archives de l’art français, XVI, 1931, p. 17; M. Martin, Les Monuments équestres de Louis XIV, Paris, 1986, p. 115, no. 62