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pair of antique greek busts on pedestals on white backgroundbronze bust of a woman wearing a hat with a feather on top of itstatue of a bust of a man wearing a helmet with a feather on his headbronze bust of a man with a hat on top of a wooden basestatue of a man with a helmet on top of his headan image of a bronze bust of a woman wearing a headdressan image of a bust of a woman with a hat on it ' s headstatue of a woman with a feather on her head on a wooden basestatue of a man sitting on top of a rock on a pedestalsculpture of a woman ' s head on a pedestal in front of a white background
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102 - Jacob Sigisbert ADAM (1670–1747) and his workshop
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Estimate €8,000 - €12,000
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Description
Jacob Sigisbert ADAM (1670–1747) and his workshop France, first quarter of the 18th century Hector and Achilles Pair of half-life-size terracotta busts; height: 28.5 cm and 28 cm; width: 21.5 cm and 19 cm. Mounted on blackened wooden pedestals, height: 17.5 cm. (Restoration work to the rim of Hector’s helmet; retouching to Achilles’ right cheek; missing sections at the back of the busts.) This fine pair of terracotta busts depicting Hector and Achilles, two of the principal heroes of the Trojan War, can be attributed to Jacob Sigisbert Adam (1670–1747) and his workshop. A founding figure of the famous dynasty of Lorrain sculptors, based in Nancy, Jacob Sigisbert Adam made his mark during the reigns of Louis XIV and Louis XV. Appointed in 1698 as the official sculptor to Duke Leopold of Lorraine, he pursued a particularly varied body of work, in which small-scale models featured prominently. The exhibition dedicated to the Adams, organised by P.-H. Penet and G. Scherf at the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Nancy in 2021–2022, helped to raise awareness of the Adams’ significant body of work and to establish new attributions. Our busts form part of this body of small-scale sculpture, prized by collectors and intended in particular to adorn ceremonial sideboards and banquet tables. Created in the first quarter of the 18th century, the bust of Achilles bears a resemblance to an almost identical terracotta example held at the Charles-Friry Museum in Remiremont (H. 27 cm; inv. 1147; Fig. 1 photo credit: Jean-Yves Lacote), attributed to Jacob Sigisbert Adam and his workshop. Both works depict a figure wearing a large helmet surmounted by a spectacular plume of feathers. The comparison is particularly striking in the rendering of the face, the hair and the breastplate. Two other pairs of comparable busts have appeared on the art market: the first, more elaborately crafted, from the former Volpi collection (Sotheby’s, Paris, 28 February 2024, lot 89, sold for €48,260), and the second from the former Juan de Beistegui collection, described as Italian (Christie’s, Paris, 10 September 2018, lot 115, sold for €25,000). The existence of these three different versions testifies to the enthusiasm of art lovers for these depictions of ancient heroes. Hector is depicted as bearded, whilst Achilles, with a more youthful face, is beardless. Both heroes wear a breastplate and a drape around their shoulders, which is absent from the Remiremont example. Achilles’ breastplate, similar to that of the latter, consists of three studded bands and is adorned, in the centre, with a grimacing mask. Hector’s, which is more understated, is decorated with a Gorgon’s head on the chest. Like the warrior in the Volpi collection—identified on this occasion as Alexander the Great—Achilles wears a drapery that crosses over his shoulders. Hector and Achilles: the iconography of the heroes of the Trojan War Son of Peleus and the Nereid Thetis, Achilles is the most illustrious of the Achaean heroes who fought in the Trojan War. Hector, the eldest son of Priam and Hecuba, is the principal Trojan defender. Their rivalry embodies two complementary aspects of ancient heroism: Achilles’ individual martial prowess and Hector’s courage combined with his sense of duty towards his city and family. In the *Iliad*, their confrontation reaches its climax following the death of Patroclus, who was killed by Hector. Returning to battle to avenge his comrade, Achilles eventually faces Hector at the gates of Troy. Deceived by Athena, who takes the form of his brother Deiphobus, Hector accepts the duel and is mortally wounded by Achilles. The death of the Trojan hero, followed by the desecration of his body, constitutes one of the most dramatic episodes in the Homeric epic. The Adams: a dynasty of Lorrain sculptors Jacob Sigisbert Adam was the founder of an important 18th-century dynasty of Lorrain sculptors. Trained notably under César Bagard, he pursued a career closely linked to the ducal court of Lorraine, producing a varied body of work in terracotta, bronze and monumental sculpture. His studio in Nancy played a vital role in passing on artistic models and practices to his three sculptor sons: Lambert Sigisbert (1700–1759), Nicolas Sébastien (1705–1778) and François-Gaspard-Balthazar Adam (1710–1761). Trained by their father, they went on to pursue their careers in Paris, Rome and, in the case of François-Gaspard-Balthazar, at the Prussian court. Lambert Sigisbert and Nicolas Sébastien made a significant contribution to the development of a style of sculpture informed by the study of antiquity and the Baroque tradition. The dynasty continued through the descendants of Anne Adam, the fourth child of Jacob Sigisbert, who married the sculptor Thomas Michel; their son was the famous Claude Michel, known as Clodion (1738–1814). Through their small scale, the quality of the clay modelling, their design as a pair and the creation of a single prototype, the busts of Hector and Achilles illustrate a characteristic aspect of the work of Jacob Sigisbert Adam and his workshop. Expert: Ms Ulrike Christina Goetz +33 (0)6 07 21 98 57 [email protected] - Expert: GOETZ Ulrike Christina
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About the sale Lorraine Residences – From the Polish Court to the Great Collections of Lorraine
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Auction time 10/03/2026 at 2:00 PM
Pictures modified on 09/21/2026 at 6:15 PM
Lot description modified on 09/21/2026 at 6:15 PM
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