JEAN-JACQUES CAFFIERI (1725-1792), PARIS, 1761

In 1748 Caffieri won the prestigious Prix de Rome and became a full member of the Académie Royale in Paris in 1759. The present full-length figure is an unrecorded early work, proudly signed by the artist, which sensitively depicts the female figure of Peace offering an olive branch in her left hand, whilst in her other hand she grasps a caduceus, the symbol of a messenger who was always granted peaceful passage. In the same year Caffieri exhibited a comparable statue of a standing female figure, of the Erythrean Sibyl, at the Salon, which is today in the Musee du Louvre. Caffieri's undeniable talent saw him surpass Lemoyne in his skillful handling of marble, and later rival Houdon in the making of portraits of the most famous figures of the age. Caffieri was appointed sculpteur du Roi to Louis XV and carved a celebrated portrait of Madame du Barry.