Jean-Baptiste Théodon France, 1645-1713
Further images
Sold to a preminent European private collection
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Confirmed by archival evidence, this work represents a major rediscovery within Théodon's Roman production for the French court. An engraved fleur-de-lis on the marble base is a decisive clue to the bust's original destination. |
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The work reproduces, in every detail, the upper section of Théodon's Terminus of Flora - or Spring - now in the Louvre, part of the celebrated series of the Four Seasons commissioned by Jean-Baptiste Colbert for the gardens of his château at Sceaux.
Théodon executed the Termini of Winter and Spring in Rome between 1677 and 1679.
This bust was most likely commissioned by Colbert for the king at the same time as the Terminus of Flora, as suggested by Colbert's letter of 21 January 1679.
The fleur-de-lis engraved on the base thus assumes particular significance: it supports the royal destination of the bust and explains its close correspondence with the Louvre Terminus of Flora.
Literature
Unpublished work.