A major terracotta sculpture by Joseph Chinard, an emblematic figure of local neoclassicism, will go up for auction this Saturday in Lyon through the auction house De Baecque & Associates. The work, titled "The Law," created between 1793 and 1794, is estimated to sell for between 50,000 and 80,000 euros. This auction represents a significant event for both art enthusiasts and those passionate about Lyon's history.
First described in 1896 by biographer Salomon de La Chapelle, the sculpture depicts "a standing woman leaning on a table bearing the inscription 'Rights of Man,' accompanied by a bundle symbolizing republican unity." The female allegory, whose drapery reveals a style mixing "intellectualism and sensuality," embodies the republican spirit of the French Revolution, an artistic commitment that was central to Chinard's career.
The Lyon-born sculptor, who faced multiple arrests for his creations deemed subversive, produced this work upon his return from Rome, shortly after being imprisoned by the Vatican for his anti-monarchical pieces. Returning to Lyon during the height of the Terror, he also participated in the revolutionary decoration of the Town Hall before being arrested again, this time accused of political provocation.
This remarkable work was presented in 1909 at the Marsan Pavilion but disappeared from public view after a sale in 1913. Its reappearance on today's market is what the auction house calls a "true event" for regional art history. The sculpture shares numerous stylistic similarities with "Allegory of the Republic" (1794), preserved at the Louvre Museum, which allows experts to precisely date its creation and measure its political and artistic significance.
The sale will take place as part of the "Furniture and Art Objects" auction this Saturday, November 22nd at 2:30 PM. A public exhibition is scheduled for Friday and on the morning of the sale at the Lyon offices of De Baecque & Associates.
