ITALIAN OR FRENCH, CIRCA 1777-1781, | The Muse Erato

Probably Château of Bagatelle, Paris;
Maurice de Wendel (1879-1961), acquired for his private palace 28 avenue de New York, Paris, circa 1920;
thence by family descent to the present owner.

RELATED LITERATURE
J.-J. Gautier, « L'Art des sculpteurs de Bagatelle », in L'Estampille – L'Objet d'Art, no. 252, November 1991, pp. 64-83.

The surface is slightly eroded with overall surface dirt, notably in the crevices, due to outside exposure. There are a few natural green veining and natural inclusions in some places consistent with the material. There are some minor fillings in some places on the drapery notably on her proper right leg. The tip of here proper left big toe is missing. There are a few minor chips to the high points notably on the drapery and along the edges of the base with a few larger losses to the lower edge, notably to the proper right front corner and edge. There is a filled loss to the edge of the drapery above her proper left foot. The tip of her nose and proper right nostril have been restored. The upper fold of the drapery bellow her proper left shoulder appears to be an addition. Otherwise in overall quite good condition. Very elegant and attractive Neoclassical marble with a good size.
"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."

Daughter of Mnemosyne and Zeus, Erato was, according to Greek mythology, one of the nine Muses, these of lyrical and erotic poetry. She is represented crowned with roses and myrtle and holding a lyre or a small kithara. Her name, associated to Eros, means "desired" or "lovable". She is often accompanied by the god of Love holding a torch, in reference to the Orphic hymn to the Muses describing Erato as the muse who charms the sight. Erato was at the foot of the grand stairway of the mansion house Sourdeval-Demachy, the Parisian residence of Maurice de Wendel acquired in 1910 (fig. 1). According to Maurice de Wendel's records, Erato was said to come from Bagatelle, the Count of Artois' pleasure residence built in 1777 by François-Joseph Bélanger. Cleared from its furnishing and sold for the first time in 1836 to the Marquis of Hertford, Bagatelle was continuously refurbished and altered by its successive owners, among whom Richard Wallace, including the dispersion of his statuary. Thus, ten sculptures and two stone sphinxes were acquired circa 1900 by a Parisian notary for his Château of Bonnemare (Eure). According to the incomplete account books of Bagatelle, some of the sculptures were carved by French sculptors, in particular by Nicolas-François-Daniel Lhuillier - who subcontracted to Philippe-Laurent Roland -, Louis Auger, Daniel Aubert, Mézière and Simon Seindit. They were mainly made of Conflans limestone, whereas the other sculptures of Bagatelle, carved by Italian sculptors and imported from Carrara by the Knight Trouard de Riolle, general controller of the King's marbles, were made of marble.

The Carrara white marble which the present Erato is made of tends to confirm an Italian origin. The marble could also have been carved by a French sculptor, such as Jean-Joseph Foucou (1739-1815) to whom it was previously attributed, or a Franco-Italian sculptor such as Agostino Bocciardi (1719 -1797) whose name also appears in the accounts of Bagatelle.