A terracotta bust of Prince Eugène de Beauharnais (1781-1824), known as the 'Prince of Milan'
Possibly workshop of Joseph Chinard (French, 1756-1813), early 19th century
The bust cast and hand modelled, the sitter looking slightly to dexter wearing an embroidered high-collared coat, sash and military decorations, on an integral waisted square socle, inscribed verso chinard De Lyon, and indistinctly inscribed S.A.S. Le prince Eugène/ le roi à Milan, 28cm high
Footnotes:
Eugène Rose de Beauharnais, Duke of Leuchtenberg (French, 1781-1824) was a French nobleman, statesman and military commander who served during the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars.

Through the second marriage of his mother, Joséphine de Beauharnais, he famously became the stepson of Napoleon Bonaparte. Under the French Empire he also became Napoleon's adopted son although not the heir apparent to the imperial throne. Considered to be one of the ablest of Napoleon's relatives he commanded the Army of Italy during the Napoleonic Wars, and was Viceroy of the Kingdom of Italy under his stepfather.

For the original model see M. Germain Bapst, Catalogue des sculptures par Joseph Chinard de Lyon (1756-1813) formant la collection de M. le comte de Penha-Longa, Paris, 1911, no. 37.

For an 1809 marble bust of the sitter by Giovanni Battista Comolli at Versailles, see Hubert 1964, no. 161.

Literature:
Gérard Hubert, La sculpture dans L'Italie Napoléonienne, Paris, 1964
For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com