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Bust of Louis de Bourbon, Called the Grand Condé
(18th and 19th Centuries )
Known as the Grand Condé, Louis de Bourbon, prince of Condé (1621-86), was one of most famous military commanders in French history, as well the most influential member of the branch of the royal Bourbon family that had its seat in the Condé region. Louis' powerful personality is captured by the baroque style of this bust with its implication of vigorous movement in the turning head with its taut neck muscles, flowing hair, and the rippling cloth of his mantle.
Derbais, official sculptor to Louis XIV, delivered a marble version of this bust to the subject's son in 1695. As the sculptor also worked in bronze, he probably produced this and other versions in bronze as gifts for the family's allies.
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object.
Arnold Seligmann, Rey and Co., New York; Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1913, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
Exhibitions
| 1999-2000 | Vive la France! French Treasures from the Middle Ages to Monet. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
| 1995-1996 | Going for Baroque. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
Geographies
France, Paris (Place of Origin)
Measurements
33 11/16 in. (85.5 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by Henry Walters, 1913
Location in Museum
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
27.415