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Very rare wax statuette of a seated bather attributed to Broche. The  graceful young woman, depicted in naturalistic colors, balances her left foot on her knee in order to dry it with the towel she holds in her right hand.  Several marble versions exist (Musée Cognacq-Jay, Madrid, Waddesdon Manor, The Huntington Collection, Lons-le-Saunier). Formerly attributed to Falconet, these works are now given to Joseph or Jean Baptiste Broche (See:  Falconet à Sèvres, Editions RMN; Paris 2002:  Pages 39-45 and Pages 97-98.) An 18th Century wax clock by the same hand was recently exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum. An identical wax figure was exhibited in the Paris Exposition Universelle de 1900. See: Catalogue Official illustré de l’Exposition Retrospective de l’Art Français - Nº 4715; illustrated Page 256. Attributed to Falconet, it was then in the collection of M. Leblanc-Barbidienne. Provenance: Divers Amateurs: Hotel Drouot; 15 December, 1913. Lot 67 (As by Falconet.)                       Marius Paulme
Height (ins.): 10.5
Origin: France, 18th century     Period: Louis XVI