A Large Empire Period Sevres Biscuit Porcelain Group of Apollo and Daphne

9323 A large Empire period Sevres biscuit porcelain group of Apollo and Daphne after the model by Louis-Simon Boizot of 1786, depicting Daphne at the point of capture and transformation into a laurel tree, watched by her father, the river god Peneus. Daphne; both hands restored, Apollo; hand restored, otherwise minor chips only.

Stamped SEVRES and with Brongniart visa for 10 May 1814. Craftsmans mark; Li, for Auguste-Marie Liance (active 1795-1820)

 

French, Sevres

1814

 

Height; 18 ins (46 cms)

Width; 14 ins (34 cms)                                                 £12,000

 

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Description

Simon-Louis Boizot (1740-1809) trained with the brothers Slodtz winning the Prix de Rome in 1762. A significant narrative sculptor, he was employed as Art director at the Sevres factory between 1773-1800 to guide the early experiments with biscuit sculpture as miniature marbles. Beautifully made and in the current taste, these models were ideal for decorating dining tables as surtout de table as well as chimneypiece ormanments. Many of these models were also cast in bronze and some used to decorate clock cases and candelabra.

A group of Empire period Sevres biscuit sculpture in the Queens Collection, bought by George IV directly from Sevres indicates the  taste for miniature “marble” sculpture current in England at the beginning of the 19th century. Interestingly, in the collection there are two groups, Rape of Orithyia after Marsy, and Rape of Proserpine after Girardon, both modelled by Boizot and sculpted and finished in 6 April 1814 by Liance, and subsequently purchased by George IV in 1816 from the Sevres manufactory via his agent in Paris, J-B Watier.

A Large Empire Period Sevres Biscuit Porcelain Group of Apollo and Daphne