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134
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Terracotta model depicting the Archangel Saint Michael vanqu…
See original version (French)
134
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Terracotta model depicting the Archangel Saint Michael vanqu…
See original version (French)
Estimate €4,000 - €6,000
Voluntary lot
Description
Terracotta model depicting the Archangel Saint Michael vanquishing the devil or a triumphant monarch
Italy or France, 18th century
H: 40 cm
The sculpture shown here has previously been described as depicting Saint Michael vanquishing the devil, notably because of the visible iron fittings on the upper body, which may have been used to attach the archangel’s wings. However, the ancient-style breastplate, the pteryges, the drapery and the defeated figure at the figure’s feet also suggest a secular iconography: that of the King of France depicted as an ancient hero and a triumphant monarch, a theme widely developed by the French monarchy in the 17th and 18th centuries. This iconography was notably used to glorify Louis XIV, as illustrated as early as 1653 by Gilles Guérin’s *Louis XIV Defeating an Allegorical Figure of the Fronde*, held at the Louvre Museum (inv. RF 4742). This work could therefore be seen as part of this tradition of depicting the victorious sovereign as akin to the heroes of antiquity, although it cannot be stated with certainty that it depicts Louis XIV.
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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