A pair of terracotta plaquettes with allegorical scenes in deep relief depicting four playful cherubs with horns and scrolls seated upon clouds. Based on style and composition, this pair of plaquettes can be attributed to the originally Belgian sculptor Gilles-Lambert Godecharle (1750-1835).

Godecharle was a sculptor from Brussels whose works display a pronounced classicist style. A student of Laurent Delvaux, he later moved to Paris. Under the protection of Governor Charles of Lorraine he was able to settle in Paris and Rome without issue. He subsequently travelled to London before returning to Belgium, where he took up the post of teacher and later director of the Brussels Academy. Godecharle was a very successful sculptor, receiving commissions from such august figures as Napoleon and William I of the Netherlands. Much of his oeuvre consists of busts, but he also made many plaquettes, including a series of allegories of the Months or Constellations. His works also include larger sculptures, which he usually created for public display.

His sculptures can now be found in various collections including that of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.

Origin and period

Jacques Kugel, Paris, 2002 Krehbiel collection, Chicago

Pair of terracotta Louis XVI plaquettes, attributed to Gilles-Lambert Godecharle

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