Fine Marble Bust of Napoleon after Chaudet

Fine early 19th Century Italian Carrera marble bust of Napoleon after Antoine-Denis Chaudet (1763-1810). Good size, classic composition, bare headed and 'herm form', inscribed 'NAPOLEON' to front. The original plaster model of this portrait of Napoleon was created in 1799 with the final marble version completed in 1804. Adopted as the official portrait of Napoleon it was widely disseminated throughout the Empire. 1200 versions were carved by the workshop between 1807 and 1809 but most were destroyed on the restoration of the Bourbons Monarchy in 1814. Other examples include one that can be seen in the Grand Salon of the Empresses’s Apartment at the Château de Compiègne, the Victoria & Albert Museum in London and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

H28.5 cm x W15 cm x D12.5 cm

SOLD