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‡An impressive and extremely rare set of four carved marble figures representing the seasons
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Description
‡An impressive and extremely rare set of four carved marble figures representing the seasonsFrench, late 17th/early 18th century On later sandstone pedestalsSpring and Summer 190cm high; Autumn 183cm high; Winter 178cm high;the pedestals 106cm high, the tops 71cm by 55cmProvenance; LaGranja Vella de Mati Codolar, Barcelona, Spain In 1798 the original Granja Vellahouse was sold to the Milà de la Roca family, from Barcelona, who transformedthe old country house into a stately neoclassical house at the beginning of the19th century. In 1828 it was owned by IsidreInglada i Marquès, who further improved it. In 1852 it was inherited by JoaquimMartí i Codolar, who built the gardens and the large square pond. Martídied in 1865 and his wife and son Lluís Martí-Codolar built pavilionsand gardens and created the first zoo in Barcelona, which was bought bythe city council in 1892, and which formed the origins of the Barcelona zoo.Amongst many notable visitors wereKing Ferdinand VII and King Alfonso XIII, whilst still achild. The friendship and relationship with the Salesians of Sarriàled to the Martí-Codolar family ceding the old Granja Vella to the Congregationof the Salesians in 1946, who inaugurated the seminary, and over thefollowing decades enhanced the gardens with an oratory and residentialpavilions. The residence is now a home for retired Selesian monks.The representation of the fourseasons in figural form has maintained a remarkable degree ofcontinuity from late antiquity onwards. In Pompeian and Roman frescoes andmosaics, Spring is a young woman holding flowers, Summer has a sickle and earsor sheaves of corn, Autumn grapes and vine leaves and winter, thickly cladagainst the cold. With some minor variations, the same iconography hasbeen used in this set of seasons. The Renaissance also revived the antiquetradition of representing the seasons by pagan divinities; Flora or Venus forSpring; Ceres for Summer; Bacchus for Autumn and Boreus or Vulcan for Winter.The inspiration for this set almost certainly comesfrom those created for the gardens of Versailles. Designed by Andre Le Notrefor Louis XIV, the 20 year period from 1674 saw what art historians referto as the Great Commission, marking the pinnacle of marble works at Versailles.No fewer than eight figures representing the four elements (Water, Earth, Air andFire) and twenty-four statues grouped in fours portraying the Four Parts of theDay, the Seasons, the Elements, Human temperaments and Forms of Poetry werecreated.The figures of Spring and Winter bear similaritiesto those produced by the sculptor Jean Thierry (1669-1739), who was courtsculptor to both Louis XIV at Versailles and Philip V of Spain forthe Royal Palace of La Granja de San Ildefonso in Spain. Engravingsof both sculptures titled Flore and l’Hiver wereproduced by Simon Thomassin, (1655-1733) who was commissioned by Louis XIV tomake engravings of all of the sculpture at Versailles published in 1694 asRecueil Des Figures, Groupes, Thermes, Fontaines, Vases Et Autres Ornemons dansle Chateau et Parc de Versailles.Interestingly in the case of the Flora, as wasoften the case when a sculptor worked from an engraving of the original,the image was reversed.A comparable set of marble seasons originallyattributed to Antoine Coysevox (1640-1720), and then reattributed toPierre Mazeline by Professor François Souchal, were included in aChristies Exceptional Sale, King St, London, 5th November lot115.This set of seasons are unusual in being slightly different in height,having different shaped bases and unfinished backs, suggesting that theywere commissioned for a very specific location, possibly in niches where thebacks wouldn’t be seen. The patronage of Louis XIV at Versailles and elsewhere in the second half ofthe 17th century produced an apotheosis of sculpture notseen since the Italian Renaissance. Other French sculptors of this periodproducing similar comparable works include Pierre Hutinot(1616-1679), Thomas Regnaudin (1622-1706), and Francois Girardon (1628-1715).It is with these celebrated works that thisremarkable and hitherto unrecorded rare set of four marble seasons can beassociated. Carved with a fluidity of movement and panache in markedcontrast to the plethora of stilted and formulaic examples carved inthe 19th century, their inclusion in this sale representsa rare opportunity to acquire one of the very few sets of life size marbleseasons to have come on the market for a considerable time, which marksthem out as a rare survival from the period.Literature; François Souchal, French Sculptors, The reign of Louis XIV, Vol IIIpage 314 Jacques Giroud, Versailles Gardens, Sculpture andMythology, Philip Wilson publishers 1985Garden statuary
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‡An impressive and extremely rare set of four carved marble figures representing the seasonsFrench, late 17th/early 18th century On later sandstone pedestalsSpring and Summer 190cm high; Autumn 183cm high; Winter 178cm high;the pedestals 106cm high, the tops 71cm by 55cmProvenance; LaGranja Vella de Mati Codolar, Barcelona, Spain In 1798 the original Granja Vellahouse was sold to the Milà de la Roca family, from Barcelona, who transformedthe old country house into a stately neoclassical house at the beginning of the19th century. In 1828 it was owned by IsidreInglada i Marquès, who further improved it. In 1852 it was inherited by JoaquimMartí i Codolar, who built the gardens and the large square pond. Martídied in 1865 and his wife and son Lluís Martí-Codolar built pavilionsand gardens and created the first zoo in Barcelona, which was bought bythe city council in 1892, and which formed the origins of the Barcelona zoo.Amongst many notable visitors wereKing Ferdinand VII and King Alfonso XIII, whilst still achild. The friendship and relationship with the Salesians of Sarriàled to the Martí-Codolar family ceding the old Granja Vella to the Congregationof the Salesians in 1946, who inaugurated the seminary, and over thefollowing decades enhanced the gardens with an oratory and residentialpavilions. The residence is now a home for retired Selesian monks.The representation of the fourseasons in figural form has maintained a remarkable degree ofcontinuity from late antiquity onwards. In Pompeian and Roman frescoes andmosaics, Spring is a young woman holding flowers, Summer has a sickle and earsor sheaves of corn, Autumn grapes and vine leaves and winter, thickly cladagainst the cold. With some minor variations, the same iconography hasbeen used in this set of seasons. The Renaissance also revived the antiquetradition of representing the seasons by pagan divinities; Flora or Venus forSpring; Ceres for Summer; Bacchus for Autumn and Boreus or Vulcan for Winter.The inspiration for this set almost certainly comesfrom those created for the gardens of Versailles. Designed by Andre Le Notrefor Louis XIV, the 20 year period from 1674 saw what art historians referto as the Great Commission, marking the pinnacle of marble works at Versailles.No fewer than eight figures representing the four elements (Water, Earth, Air andFire) and twenty-four statues grouped in fours portraying the Four Parts of theDay, the Seasons, the Elements, Human temperaments and Forms of Poetry werecreated.The figures of Spring and Winter bear similaritiesto those produced by the sculptor Jean Thierry (1669-1739), who was courtsculptor to both Louis XIV at Versailles and Philip V of Spain forthe Royal Palace of La Granja de San Ildefonso in Spain. Engravingsof both sculptures titled Flore and l’Hiver wereproduced by Simon Thomassin, (1655-1733) who was commissioned by Louis XIV tomake engravings of all of the sculpture at Versailles published in 1694 asRecueil Des Figures, Groupes, Thermes, Fontaines, Vases Et Autres Ornemons dansle Chateau et Parc de Versailles.Interestingly in the case of the Flora, as wasoften the case when a sculptor worked from an engraving of the original,the image was reversed.A comparable set of marble seasons originallyattributed to Antoine Coysevox (1640-1720), and then reattributed toPierre Mazeline by Professor François Souchal, were included in aChristies Exceptional Sale, King St, London, 5th November lot115.This set of seasons are unusual in being slightly different in height,having different shaped bases and unfinished backs, suggesting that theywere commissioned for a very specific location, possibly in niches where thebacks wouldn’t be seen. The patronage of Louis XIV at Versailles and elsewhere in the second half ofthe 17th century produced an apotheosis of sculpture notseen since the Italian Renaissance. Other French sculptors of this periodproducing similar comparable works include Pierre Hutinot(1616-1679), Thomas Regnaudin (1622-1706), and Francois Girardon (1628-1715).It is with these celebrated works that thisremarkable and hitherto unrecorded rare set of four marble seasons can beassociated. Carved with a fluidity of movement and panache in markedcontrast to the plethora of stilted and formulaic examples carved inthe 19th century, their inclusion in this sale representsa rare opportunity to acquire one of the very few sets of life size marbleseasons to have come on the market for a considerable time, which marksthem out as a rare survival from the period.Literature; François Souchal, French Sculptors, The reign of Louis XIV, Vol IIIpage 314 Jacques Giroud, Versailles Gardens, Sculpture andMythology, Philip Wilson publishers 1985Garden statuary
Home, Garden and Natural History
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Lots: 1 - 74
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Billingshurst
West Sussex
England
RH14
United Kingdom
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(a) The Seller warrants to SPA and the Buyer that:-
(i) the Seller is the owner of the Property or is properly authorised to sell it;
(ii) the Seller shall transfer possession and good title in the Property to the Buyer, free from any third party claims;
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(b)[i] All oral or written estimates, appraisals and reports are statements of opinion only, may not be relied upon as a prediction of the sale price and may be revised from time to time by SPA.
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(c) SPA may, without obligation, consult with third party experts and carry out such other research for the Property as it deems necessary and has vendors aucthority to apply for any CITES documentation. SPA may transfer possession of the Property to such third parties and shall not be responsible for the acts and omissions of such third parties.
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(e) SPA will charge a Buyer’s Premium on the sale of the Property at SPA’s standard rates. SPA reserves the right to pay out of its commissions a fee to any third party introducing Sellers or Property to it.
(f) Sellers are prohibited from bidding on their own Property. If a Seller offers the Hammer Price for their Property, SPA may charge the Seller the Seller’s Commission, Buyer’s Premium and Expenses relating to that Property.
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(a) If the Seller withdraws any Property from sale after their written agreement to sell it, SPA may charge the Seller 50% of the Seller’s Commission and Buyer’s Premium SPA would have received had the Property sold at its mid estimate, plus all Expenses (the “Withdrawal Fee”).
(b) SPA may withdraw any Property from sale without liability for any of the following reasons:- if (i) it reasonably believes that the authenticity or attribution is questionable; (ii) it reasonably believes that the Seller’s Warranties or other Conditions of Business have been breached; (iii) there is a competing ownership claim or lien over the Property; (iv) the Property does not have all licences and permits required by law, including those required under the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES); (v) the condition of the Property has deteriorated since consignment; (vi) the auction has been postponed for any reason.
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(c) SPA’s liability to the Seller in respect of death or personal injury caused by SPA’s negligent acts or omissions shall not be excluded or limited.
6. LOSS OR DAMAGE TO PROPERTY
(a) Unless otherwise agreed in writing, SPA will assume the risk of loss or damage to Property received from the Seller until:-
(i) risk passes to the Buyer at the fall of the hammer, or when the successful bidder is invoiced by SPA for lots in the sealed bid auction. or
(ii) if unsold, 30 days after the sale or when released to the Seller (whichever is earlier); or
(iii) 6 months after receipt of the Property by SPA, if not consigned for sale.
(b) The seller agrees to pay a charge for the above liability accepted by SPA for which SPA shall charge a premium of 0% of:-
(i) the Hammer Price of the Property, if sold; or
(ii) the mid estimate, if not offered for sale (or SPA’s reasonable estimate of auction value where there are no pre-sale estimates).
(c) If damage or loss occurs whilst the Property is at the risk of SPA, the maximum amount of SPA’s liability shall be as set out in Condition 5 (b) (i)- (iii), as applicable, less Seller’s Commission and Expenses.
(d) SPA will not be liable for any loss or damage caused by:- (i) normal wear and tear, gradual deterioration or inherent vice or defect; (ii) errors in processing; (iii) war, radioactive contamination or acts of terrorism.
7. POST- AUCTION SALES
If any Property fails to sell at auction, SPA shall be entitled for a period of 35 days after the auction to sell the Property privately for no less than the Reserve Price (unless otherwise agreed with the Seller) and on the terms of these Conditions of Business. Any reference in the conditions of business to the auction date shall be treated as the date of the post-auction sale
8. PAYMENT OF NET SALE PROCEEDS
(a) A sale contract is made directly between the Buyer and the Seller. SPA’s sole obligation shall be to send the seller Net Sale proceeds once appropriate identification and cleared funds have been received from the buyer. Subject in all cases to prior receipt of cleared funds by SPA and subject to rescission of the sale under Condition 9, 35 days after the sale date or 5 working days after receipt of cleared funds from the Buyer (whichever is later), SPA shall send the Seller the Net Sale Proceeds in sterling, less any other amounts owed by the Seller to SPA.
(b) SPA shall not be obliged to check the ability of Buyers to pay for Property and shall have absolute discretion whether to use any of the rights and remedies against defaulting Buyers contained in the Conditions of Business for Buyers.
9. UNSOLD/ UNCOLLECTED PROPERTY
(a) SPA will advise Sellers whether or not their Property has sold. Unsold Property may either:-
(i) be reconsigned for sale; or
(ii) collected by the Seller, once relevant expenses have been settled.
(b) If the Seller does not reconsign or collect the Property within 60 days of the auction as per Condition 8(a) (i) or (ii) above, SPA shall be released from any duty of bailment and may in its sole discretion be entitled to:-
(i) transfer the Property to independent storage at the Seller’s expense; or
(ii) re-offer the Property at auction for no less than 50% of the original Reserve Price agreed with the Seller (where applicable), and subject to the Seller’s Commission on the re-sale plus all relevant Expenses.
(c)[i] If the Seller deposits the Property with SPA for more than 1 year and neither collects or consigns it for sale, SPA shall be entitled to sell such Property at a SPA sale or elsewhere, with estimates and reserves at SPA’s discretion, after giving the Seller 60 days written notice sent to the Seller’s last known address.
[ii] Any resale of unsold lots shall be conducted under these conditions of business, save only that, between the Seller and SPA, these conditions of business shall continue to apply and prevail in the event of any conflict. The proceeds of such sale less all costs incurred by SPA will be forfeited unless collected by the Seller within two years of the sale.
10. RESCISSION OF SALES
SPA may rescind the sale where it reasonably believes that the Property is Counterfeit, as defined by SPA’s Guarantee of Authenticity, in which case SPA shall send the Seller a notice of such rescission. The Seller agrees to return to SPA the Net Sale Proceeds received from the sale of such Property together with any additional Expenses incurred by SPA. SPA will return the Property to the Seller upon receipt of the Net Sale Proceeds and Expenses, unless prevented from doing so for reasons beyond SPA’s control.
11. DATA PROTECTION
(a) SPA will use information supplied by Sellers or otherwise obtained lawfully by SPA for the provision of auction related services, client administration, marketing and as otherwise required by law.
(b) By agreeing to these Conditions of Business, the Seller agrees to the processing of their personal information and to the disclosure of such information to third parties world-wide for the purposes outlined in Condition 10(a).
(c) Clients please note that for security purposes, SPA premises are subject to video monitoring and telephone calls may also be recorded.
(d) If you would not like to receive details of future events please tick here. □
12. MISCELLANEOUS
(a) If any part of these Conditions of Business be held unenforceable, the remaining parts shall remain in full force and effect.
b) These Conditions of Business shall be interpreted in accordance with English Law under the exclusive jurisdiction of the English Courts, in favour of SPA.
(c) In accordance with market practice, SPA reserves the right to pay out of its commissions a fee to any third party introducing clients or property to it.
