Lot 54 : JEAN-LOUIS-ERNEST MEISSONIER (1815-1891) French An
Rowley Fine Art Auctioneers - Newmarket - 02 September 2008
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Title:
JEAN-LOUIS-ERNEST MEISSONIER (1815-1891) French An
Description:
JEAN-LOUIS-ERNEST MEISSONIER (1815-1891) French An Equestrian Figure of a Horseman in a Storm, the rider in a Napoleonic officers uniform, leaning in to a strong wind Bronze The integral base signed Meissonier and stamped Siot Decauville Founder, Paris and separately numbered 27, mounted on a later verde antico plinth 60 x 48 cms. Illustrated and on front cover Provenance: A private collector. Note: Jean-Louis-Ernest Meissonier achieved great fame during his lifetime particularly for his genre and historical paintings. The best known of these being important events in Napoleon's life. The present model has been called variously "Voyager", "A Horseman in a Storm", "Napoleon in Russia" and "The Retreat from Moscow". There is in existence a sepia drawing entitled "A Horseman in a Storm" which closely relates to this model which is likely to be a source for this bronze. There are a total of nineteen maquettes by Meissonier recorded and eight of these were edited in bronze by Siot Decauville. Other examples of this model are in the Hirshorn Museum, Washington DC and the Musee du Beaux-Arts de Lyon.
