According to John Whitehead: the group is not Sèvres, but a Sèvres model designed by Boizot stolen by a Paris porcelaine factory that made this. It is signed Constant, a Paris modeller of 1795-1800.

L'Amour piqué par une abeille

Love stung by a bee

c. 1772

bisque ware

statuette

Dimensions (HxWxD): H. 12 ¹⁄₄ in.

Acc. No.: 92.158.21

Credit Line: Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Leo A. Hodroff

Photo credit: ph. courtesy Minneapolis Institute of Art

© Artist : public domain

Minneapolis, Minnesota, The Minneapolis Institute of Art

www.artsmia.org

Provenance

• 1992, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Leo A. Hodroff

Bibliography

• Museum's website, November 2, 2015

Related works

• Is close to a group with same title Love stung by a bee, under the direction of Boizot, attributed to Le Riche, 1774, hard paste biscuit, Musée national de la Céramique, Sèvres, acc. no. MNC 2014.2.1 (see catalogue of exhibition La Manufacture des lumières, La sculpture à Sèvres de Louis XV à la révolution, Sèvres, Cité de la Céramique, 16 September 2005-18 January 2016, under the direction of Tamara Préaud and Guilhem Scherf, p. 154 cat. 98) (differences: position of raised finger of Venus, position of raised arm of Cupid, no dove behind Venus...).