Atelier de Jacques Ier Laudin (1627-1695) Lot n° 2

The Twelve Caesars Limoges, second half of the 17th century, suite of twelve medallions in Limoges enamel Enamel painted on copper in grisaille heightened with green and gilding, salmon-colored counter-enamel Some restorations and chips - Modern polychrome wood frames On the back of some, label of the Versace collection H. 18 cm ; W. 15,5 cm (without frame : H. 7,5 cm ; W. 6 cm) Provenance Former collection presumed to be Versace Girogio Salvai antique dealer, Paris History Tajan sale, Paris, April 16, 2019, lot 155 Each medallion features a numbered and named portrait of the first twelve Roman emperors such as 1-Julius Caesar; 2-Augustus; 3-Tibera; 4-Caligula; 5-Claude; 6-Nero; 7-Galba; 8-Otho; 9-Vitellius; 10-Domitian (in place of Vespasian); 11-Titus; 12-Domitian. These "Twelve Caesars" follow the theme of Suetonius from which several series of engravings are derived, such as that of Marcantonio Raimondi and, more particularly, that of the Flemish Jacques de Gheyn II (1565-1629) engraved around 1600. The portraits of Roman emperors in profile, known as "imago clipeata" (where the character is portrayed in bust form in a circular or oval medallion) were very popular from the Renaissance onwards, finding their source in ancient coins taken up by Italian and Flemish engravers of the 16th and 17th centuries. These imperial portraits in turn inspired the Limousin enamel painters of the 17th century, particularly the Laudins, Jacques I and Jacques II. Some series are enamelled in grisaille, sometimes enhanced with a color as here, others are painted in polychrome enamels. Few complete series are preserved today. One is preserved in the Dobrée Museum in Nantes, another was sold in Paris in 2015 (Artcurial, 25/11/2015, lot 173,7150).