Gilt Bronze Portrait Of Jb. Mercadier, Circa 1815

Round gilded bronze arm-relief portrait of Jean-Baptiste Mercadier, bearing the date 1788. The bronze is not signed, but probably made at the time of his death around 1815 in celebration of his great hydraulic work published in 1788 under the title "1788 under the title Research on the silting of sea ports and on the means of preventing them in the future, particularly in the ports of Languedoc." After this publication, the States of Languedoc gave him the mission to visit the ports of the kingdom and abroad and to take instructions there on dykes, recurements and other works. This bronze portrait seems neither known nor referenced. Very beautiful original condition of the deep gilding. Period or 19th century mounting in a wooden frame with three labels on the back. The bronze measures 14cm in diameter and the frame 19.8cm in diameter.