a French terracotta group, late 18th/ early 19th century, modelled as a satyress (or 'faunesse') seated on a rock tending to one infant on her knee playing the tambourine, the other to her side blowing on panpipes, signed in the terracotta to reverse 'CLODIOИ', on a giltwood fluted circular plinth, with velvet and wood stand, terracotta 30.5cm high, plinth 6.5cm high, stand 3cm high

The liveliness and quality of the modelling suggest that this terracotta may well date to the artist’s lifetime and is not just a copy. This impression is reinforced by the reversed ‘И’ of the signature, a regular feature on terracottas taken to be autograph but apparently often overlooked by imitators (A.L. Poulet and G. Scherf, ‘Clodion, 1738-1814’, Exhibition Catalogue, Louvre, Paris, 1992, p.461). There is also an intriguing catalogue entry from an anonymous sale held in Paris, 9 November 1812, lot 129: “Bacchante accompagnée de deux enfants dont un sur ses genoux frappe sur un tambour de basque” (Bacchante accompanied by two children, one in her lap playing a tambourine). Given that Bacchantes and Faunesses were often confused in sale catalogues of the period, this appears to be a very close description of the present group.

Clodion returned to Paris in 1771 after nine years in Rome, apparently establishing a workshop in what is now the Place de la Concorde. It is believed he was joined there by his brothers, Sigisbert-Martial (born 1727), Sigisbert-François (born 1728) and Pierre-Joseph (born 1737) who benefited from his success in imitating his style, so firm attributions are notoriously difficult. Fauns and Faunesses were favoured subjects for his studio: see the related models held by the Musée du Louvre (on loan from the Musée national de la Renaissance, Château d'Ecouen, Nos.CL12534A/B) which are both signed ‘Clodion’ and dated 1783 which have been described variously, sometimes as 'after', sometimes attributed to the sculptor.