A PAIR OF FRENCH BRONZE 'MARLY' HORSE GROUPS ON CUT-BRASS INLAID TORTOISESHELL 'BOULLE' BASES

The present bronze groups are based on the celebrated marbles by Guillaume Ier Coustou which were originally commissioned for the gardens at the Château de Marly in 1739, subsequently moved by the painter Jacques-Louis David to the entry of the Champs Élysées in Paris in 1794 and are today in the collections of the Musée du Louvre, Paris (M.R. 1802-3). Coustou’s famed rearing horses restrained by grooms were among the most important sculptures created in the 18th century, and were reprised in numerous sizes and media through to the 20th century.

Most 19th century bronze versions measure around twenty-three inches high; whereas the present examples are of unusually large scale measuring thirty inches high and are further distinguished by their 'Boulle’ bases, which are a direct reference to the elaborately decorated furniture created by André-Charles Boulle in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. As such, they are a bona fide tour de force of the goût français.