The King Of Rome In Vesuvius Lava Stone And Red Coral

THE KING OF ROME IN VESUVIUS LAVA STONE AND RED CORAL
Neapolitan school circa 1813-1814. Probably as a royal gift.

Description: The King of Rome, sculpted in lava stone or “Vesuvius stone”, is presented seated on a precious piece of red coral, resting on a rectangular base made of gilded wood. In very good general condition, probably missing the scepter in his right hand.
h. 24.5cm. (with base).

History: The term lava stone generically refers to a soft stone - generally clayey marls of different colors, from gray to light blue, from ocher to pink - widely used in the past for jewelry and objects. Its fame was linked to the production of jewelry, cameos, small sculptures, office objects and common objects, precious souvenirs of the Neapolitan Grand Tour, and it is perhaps for this reason that it received this evocative name of "land Vesuvian". Although its use was attested well before the 19th century, the treatment of lava stone experienced significant growth during the Napoleonic era, when Queen Caroline Murat herself commissioned works in coral and lava stone, as gifts often valuable sent to European courts. This is the case of the gilded bronze and pearl chessboard, decorated with Vesuvius stone and pink coral pawns that the young sovereign offered to her brother Napoleon (see B. Liverino, II Corallo, Bologna, 1983, p. 135 ).
This delightful sculpted portrait of little Napoleon II, unhappy son of Napoleon Bonaparte and Marie-Louise de Habsburg, fits perfectly into this production. It seems obvious that the unknown artist was inspired by the painting by François Gérard which, in 1813, represents the little Eaglet standing on his cradle in the arms of his mother (Castle of Versailles), of which there are numerous copies and reproductions in prints were circulating. The subject, although developed according to refined neoclassical models, nevertheless solicits the emotional involvement of the viewer through hints of the naturalness of the attitudes; on the contrary, the sculptor emphasizes the similarity of the paternal somatic traits, as if to make him immediately recognizable. It is likely that the heir to the throne of the Empire held a scepter in his right hand, as in his official portrait by Gérard of 1811 (Castle of Versailles).