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Jean-Baptiste PIGALLE (1714–1785)
See original version (French)
223
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Jean-Baptiste PIGALLE (1714–1785)
See original version (French)
Estimate €15,000 - €20,000
Voluntary lot
Description
Jean-Baptiste PIGALLE (1714–1785)
Two putti playing with vines
Patinated terracotta sculpture
Signed and dated 1784
Height: 60 cm
Note.
A leading master of 18th-century French sculpture, Jean-Baptiste Pigalle left his mark on art history through his unique ability to breathe life into his material. Whilst the artist is celebrated for his large-scale monuments and psychological portraits, it is undoubtedly in his depictions of early childhood that he displays the full extent of his tenderness and technical virtuosity. His famous *Child with a Birdcage* (Louvre Museum) had already established his reputation as an unrivalled sculptor of chubby flesh and spontaneous expressions as early as 1750.Our terracotta group, created in 1784 — just one year before the artist’s death — fits beautifully into this intimate and graceful vein. It bears witness to the sculptor’s late return to modelling in clay, a malleable and living material that served as the first testing ground for his genius, right from the creation of his famous *Mercury* in 1740.
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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