FRENCH, 18TH CENTURY, | Profile of a young man

Christie's London, 10th December 2009, lot 745 (sold 31,250 £).

This profile portrait recalls medals of Louis XIV and Louis XV, or Pierre Puget's marble depiction Louis XIV at 46 years old (Musée Lambinet, Versailles). The baroque carving in the hair and the idealised features of the young man are comparable to the style of Nicolas Coustou (1658-1733) and his brother Guillaume (1677-1746). His Resting Hunter has similar hair and ears (Musée du Louvre, inv. no. MR 1796). The present medallion also recalls the marble relief by Coustou The God of Health shows the Bust of Louis XIV to France, (Musée du Louvre, inv. no. MR 2735).