19th century French school after Louis-Simon Boizot (1743-18 - Lot 125

19th century French school after Louis-Simon Boizot (1743-1809) Great vestal virgin Small life-size bust in bronze with brown patina Bears an antique label below the base 'LE GARDE MEUBLE PUB.../ 18 rue Saint Augustin/. and the number 97139 H. 30 on a bronze pedestal set on a marble base H. 14.2 cm AL-EJ Dust and patina wear Bibliography Tamara Préaud, Guilhem Scherf, La manufacture des Lumières. La sculpture à Sèvres de Louis XV à la Révolution, Dijon, Editions Faton, 2015, Notices 120 à 123, pp.162-163 Related works: -Le Riche under the direction of Boizot, Grande Vestale dite aussi Grande Prêtresse, 1ère grandeur, terracotta, dim. 65 x 51 x 29 cm, Manufacture nationale de Sèvres, inv. MNC 27921 This figure of a Roman priestess was inspired by the terracotta modello representing Iphigénie, originally paired with Chrysès and presented at the 1759 Salon by the renowned sculptor René-Michel Slodtz (Paris, Musée du Louvre, inv. ENT 1984.22 and 23). Louis-Simon Boizot acquired it at the Lalive de Jully sale in 1770. A former pupil of Slodtz, and winner of the Prix de Rome in 1762, Louis-Simon Boizot proposed to the Manufacture de Sèvres, when he took over as director in 1773, to publish the busts of his master. At the same time, he reinterpreted the models to create his own compositions, whose execution was entrusted to Perrotin and Le Riche in 1775. The highly-acclaimed subjects were produced in a variety of materials, in both bisque and bronze.