D'après CHARLES ANTOINE COYSEVOX (Lyon, 1640/Paris,... Lot n° 34

The Renown and Mercury on horseback on Pegasus Paris, early 18th century Carved and patinated lead; blackened wood bases Restoration to the sword of Mercury H. 63 cm W. 60 cm D. 30 cm H. 72 cm W. 60 cm D. 30 cm Provenance Sale in Paris, Galerie Charpentier, by Me Etienne Ader, June 12, 1956 lot 59, sold for 300 000 Frs Former Segard collection, acquired from the previous Certificate For the figure Mercury, analysis report of the materials and the technique under ultraviolet light and by XRF spectroscopy, written by Ilenia Cassan for Art in Lab, March 20, 2018 This pair of sculptures was acquired by M. Segard in a sale at the Galerie Charpentier in 1956 for 300,000 Francs (fig. 1). They are lead reductions of two marble groups commissioned in 1698 by the superintendent of the King's Buildings Jules Hardouin-Mansart from the sculptor Charles Antoine Coysevox. The scientific analysis carried out on the Mercury showed that "the work is compatible with the techniques of creation of lead sculptures of the early eighteenth century. The analysis did not detect elements associated with modern metallurgy techniques" (according to the report of I. Cassan, 2018, see CERTIFICATE). The marble groups by Coysevox were completed in 1702. They were first placed on either side of the upper balustrade of the Bassin de l'Abreuvoir in the park of Marly. Then, they were moved to the western entrance of the Tuileries garden in 1719. They are now kept in the Louvre Museum (fig. 2).