Attributed to Guillaume Berthelot

Attributed to GUILLAUME BERTHELOT (Paris, 1580–1648).
“Wild Boar.”
Bronze.
Accompanied by a report by Doña Rosario Coppel.
Provenance: Important private Spanish collection.
Measurements: 19 x 24 x 8 cm.
A bronze depiction of a wild boar in full flight, captured in a moment of extraordinary tension and energy. The composition conveys a powerful sense of movement, accentuated by the arrangement of the limbs and the expressiveness of the head, which embodies all the animal’s strength and untamed spirit. The bronze execution allows one to appreciate the modeling of the anatomy, the muscular tension, and the richness of detail, striking a balance between naturalistic observation and artistic elaboration. Of particular interest is the rectangular base, also made of bronze, conceived as a miniature landscape incorporating leaves, flowers, and small animals. This treatment transforms the base into an essential part of the composition, enriching the scene.
The depiction of the wild boar has a long tradition in Western sculpture and took on particular significance during the Renaissance, when the rediscovery of and admiration for classical sculpture spurred the revival of models from antiquity. Among these, the famous Florence Wild Boar—also known as the Porcellino—stands out; its tradition is linked to Hellenistic prototypes, and its widespread influence had a notable impact on European animal sculpture.
From a stylistic perspective, the piece shows affinities with the sculptural language of Guillaume Berthelot, a French sculptor trained in the Roman art scene and later associated with major commissions from the French court. His career, which unfolded between Rome and Paris during the first half of the 17th century, took place against a backdrop of intense circulation of classical models and exchange between the Italian and French sculptural traditions.
The vitality of the composition, the interest in animal anatomy, and the attention paid to the treatment of the whole allow this work to be placed within the realm of European sculpture of the classicist tradition, in which the study of nature is combined with technical refinement and a taste for small-scale objects intended for collecting. Its scale, the narrative richness of the base, and the dynamic conception of the figure lend the bronze a distinctly ornamental character, without sacrificing the expressive intensity characteristic of Baroque animal sculpture.
The attribution to Guillaume Berthelot, supported by the report by Doña Rosario Coppel accompanying the work, adds interest to a piece that evokes the Franco-Italian artistic milieu of the 17th century, A French sculptor trained in the Roman artistic milieu, he worked for Pope Paul V Borghese between 1610 and 1618, participating in major sculptural projects and in the restoration of the famous Borghese Gladiator. Upon his return to France, he was appointed sculptor to Marie de’ Medici in 1620.