Description
H.: 16 cm - L.: 15 cm (incl. stand)
L.: 15 cm - H.: 11,5 cm (the bronze)
Condition:
- The left rear paw with a fixed probably casting-related horizontal break.
- Otherwise in good condition with minor superficial wear.
Ref.:
- Christie's, Paris, Sep. 15, 2020, lot 100, for a related example. (sold EUR 15.000) (link)
- Sotheby's, London, April 29, 2021, lot 36, for a related example (sold GBP 16.380) (link) where the catalogue note reads 'As a promising young sculptor with a prodigious talent, in the 1550s Barthélémy Prieur travelled to Italy to complete his training, returning to his native France to settle in Paris in 1571. There he soon started working for several illustrious patrons, a success that culminated in 1591, when he was appointed sculptor to King Henri IV. The monarch is known to have praised Prieur's small bronzes, and it is likely that the artist had access to the royal collection's bronze models by Giambologna (1529-1608), whose Pacing Bull may have provided the inspiration for the present work. The first great master of exquisite bronze statuettes to have worked in Giambologna's tradition in France, Prieur has since been highly sought-after by collectors. The high finish of the present bronze and the visible traces of a rich red lacquer patina allow us to place it amongst Prieur's group of small-scale bronzes.'
- Sotheby's, Paris, June 17, 2015, lot 181, for an example of a raging bull. (sold EUR 22.500) (link)
Lot 481
Attributed to Barthélémy Prieur (France, circa 1536-1611): a bronze model of a bull with traces of red lacquer
Hammer price incl. commission
€ 4.940
This lot was sold on 8 October 2021 and is no longer available
