A French Antique Carved White Marble Bust of Louis XIV 'The Sun King' Circa 1890

Fine 19th century white carved marble bust of a gentleman with mustache wearing a Toga. Signed: Randolph Rogers, Rome. Randolph John Rogers (July 6, 1825, Waterloo, New York – January 15, 1892, Rome, Italy) was an American Neoclassical sculptor. An expatriate who lived most of his life in Italy, his works ranged from popular subjects to major commissions, including the Columbus Doors at the U.S. Capitol and American Civil War monuments. Born in Waterloo, New York, he spent most of his childhood in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He developed an interest in wood cuts and wood engraving, and moved to New York City about 1847, but was unsuccessful in finding employment as an engraver. While working as a clerk in a dry-goods store, his employers discovered his native talent as a sculptor and provided funds for him to travel to Italy. He began study in Florence in 1848, where he studied briefly under Lorenzo Bartolini. He then opened a studio in Rome in 1851. He resided in that city until his death in 1892. He began his career carving statues of children and portrait busts of tourists. He was not happy working with marble consequently all his marble statues were copied in his studio by Italian artisans under his supervision, from an original produced by him in another material. This also enabled him to profit from his popular works. His first large-scale work was Ruth Gleaning...

A white carved marble figure of Napoleon Bonaparte standing with one hand in his jacket, raised on a gilt bronze mounted white marble pedestal. Overall height: 75" Sculpture height...

Louis XIV, known as Louis the Great or Le Roi Soleil (Sun King) was a monarch who reigned as king of France from 1643 until his death in 1715. His reign of 72...

The gentleman appears dressed in armor and headdress with long curly wig. The idealization, clothing and posture refer to examples of busts made in the environment of the court of Louis XIV (17101774) by artists such as Antoine Coysevox...