A PAIR OF FRENCH BRONZE BUSTS OF HENRI IV AND MARIE DE MEDICI

These busts by Prieur, often paired, are executed in numerous versions. They commonly show Henri IV either nude or wearing a cuirass and the Queen in a classical dress or in the elaborate court costume of the present piece.
It is known that Prieur worked in collaboration with his son-in-law, Guillaume Dupr (circa 1574-1647) and a pair of busts exhibited in 1968 (New York, M. Knoedler & Co., The French Bronze 1500-1800, 1968, no. 10.) are assigned to the circle of Dupr and Prieur.