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80 - Pietro Dose (Venice, 19th century) 'Portrait of Henry IV aft…

Estimate €10,000 - €12,500
Sale commission
Description
Pietro Dose (Venice, 19th century) 'Portrait of Henry IV after a model by François Joseph Bosio (Monaco, 1768 – Paris, 1845) Wooden sculpture. Signed on the base: “PIE.o DOSE SCULP. VENEZIA” Height: 133 cm. Magnificent carved wood sculpture depicting the future King Henry IV of France in his youth, executed after the celebrated model created by the Neoclassical sculptor François Joseph Bosio. Far from being a mere mechanical reproduction, the work reveals a personal reinterpretation of the original model, adapted with remarkable sensitivity to the expressive and technical possibilities of wood carving. The figure is represented standing, dressed in elegant Renaissance attire consisting of a fitted doublet, slashed trunk hose, and a small ruffled collar, elements that recall the traditional iconography of the young French monarch. The sculptor successfully conveys an idealized and serene image of the sitter, emphasizing the nobility of his features and the refined elegance of his bearing. Particularly noteworthy is the quality of the carving. The treatment of the drapery, the delicate rendering of the hands, the subtle modelling of the face, and the carefully finished surfaces reveal the hand of a master woodcarver of considerable technical skill. The sculpture possesses an artistic presence of its own, transcending its status as a copy or derivation and becoming a work of genuine artistic interest in its own right. The full signature, “PIE.o DOSE SCULP. VENEZIA”, allows the author to be identified as Pietro Dose, a sculptor and master woodcarver active in Venice during the second half of the nineteenth century. Surviving documentation associates him with the prestigious Venetian tradition of ornamental carving and artistic cabinetmaking, a field in which he gained recognition for the creation of richly decorated furniture and finely executed works. His production was exhibited at important artistic and industrial exhibitions of the period, where he was mentioned alongside prominent Venetian sculptors and woodcarvers, including Valentino Besarel. • He is chiefly known for his woodcarvings, particularly the production of richly ornamented artistic furniture and fine cabinetmaking pieces. • Among the documented works attributed to him is a credenza that he exhibited at the Venice Exhibition. The present sculpture is a remarkable example of how the finest Venetian workshops of the Ottocento successfully combined the artisanal tradition of wood carving with the most prestigious academic models of European art. Drawing inspiration from a composition by Bosio that was widely admired throughout the nineteenth century, Pietro Dose created a work of great elegance and individuality, in which the virtuosity of the chisel and the nobility of the material assume a leading role. Beyond its relationship to the original French model, the sculpture should be appreciated as a significant example of nineteenth-century Venetian sculpture, capable of transforming a celebrated prototype into an autonomous work endowed with character, technical refinement, and considerable artistic quality. The quality of the carving and the choice of a model derived from François Joseph Bosio's celebrated composition—of virtually identical dimensions—suggest the activity of a sculptor trained within the Italian academic tradition, possibly specializing in the reproduction and interpretation of Neoclassical compositions intended for collectors and Grand Tour travellers.
About the sale Dialogues with the Past: Vestigia
Auction location
Auction time 07/02/2026 at 7:00 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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