Emile-Coriolan-Hippolyte Guillemin (French, 1841-1907) Janissaire du Sultan Mahmoud II Bronze on a marble pedestal 34-1/4 x 22 x 15 inches (87.0 x 55.9 x 38.1 cm) Signed proper left shoulder: Ele. Guillemin Property from the Collection of Weider Health and Fitness PROVENANCE: Marshall Antique Gallery, Los Angeles, California; Acquired by the present owner from the above, 1986. Emile-Coriolan-Hippolyte Guillemin was one of the premier Orientalist sculptors active in France during the last quarter of the nineteenth century, when the West became entranced with the exoticism of other continents. His figurative works inspired by the Middle and Far East earned him acclaim at the Salons, particularly for his bronzes which featured finely detailed polychrome, such as gilt, silver, and bronze patinas, and were embellished with applied colored stones, onyx, and marble. The French State became a major patron of his representations of Indian falconers, Turkish, Kurdish, and Algerian maidens, as well as Japanese courtesans. The present work depicts a magnificently handsome and regal janissaire, a member of an elite military corps who protected the Ottoman Empire. Adorned in Guillemin's sculpture with all the accoutrements associated with his very high place in society, the janissaire is presented in a pose traditionally used for princes and heads of state: the head turns in contrapposto to the torso, while his gaze steers above and past the onlooker into the distance. The janissaires enjoyed high social status until abolished by Sultan Mahmoud II (d. 1839). Due to their popularity and political power, they remained a captivating subject for portraiture during the Belle Époque. HID12401132022 © 2024 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved