David Le Marchand (Anglo-French, 1674-1726): An early 18th century relief carved ivory oval portrait medallion of a gentleman, possibly depicting Sir Robert Walpole (British, 1676-1745)

Footnotes

David Le Marchand was the foremost ivory carver of his generation. Flourishing in the late 17th and early 18th century, he was also almost certainly one of the most influential portraitists operating in Great Britain during that period.

Born in the Northern French port of Dieppe in 1674 which was famed for its long tradition of ivory carving, Le Marchand fled to Britain due to the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685 which persecuted the Huguenot community. Initially settling in Edinburgh in 1696, where the city granted 'Liberty and Licence to David Lemerchand designer and cutter in Ivory to exercise the sd. Arte' (Avery, op. cit., p. 13) by 1700 Le Marchand had moved to London. He then quickly established himself as one of the most fashionable portraitists in the city with sitters that included many of the leading figures of the day including Sir Christopher Wren, Samuel Pepys and Sir Isaac Newton.

Le Marchand's oeuvre in portraiture can be viewed against the backdrop of Restoration London, which by this time was a bustling centre of commercial activity with a burgeoning trading empire. The expensive and highly prized exotic medium of ivory was therefore the perfect vehicle for Le Marchand's dramatic Baroque style and these creations appealed particularly to those figures who in their business, state or artistic capacity were instrumental in creating the wealth and prosperity of the City of London. This is illustrated by Le Marchand's most loyal patrons who were the Raper's, a family of wealthy silk merchants who were amongst the earliest Directors of the Bank of England.

Although unsigned, the style and quality of the execution of the carving of the present lot is undoubtedly characteristic of Le Marchand's distinctive ivory portraiture. However the absence of the sculptors deeply-cut and sometimes rather crude initials to the area under the upper arm with instead a possible criss-cross erasure may suggest that that either the sitter or the sculptor may have rejected this particular commission.

Comparisons with contemporary images of Sir Robert Walpole in the early 18th century with the current lot suggest that he is a very much a likely candidate given the similarities of the sharpness of the distinctive nose and the apparent jowl-like neck below a small chin.

However, although this particular portrait is apparently unrecorded, it is possible that the ink monogram and inscriptions to the rear, which were exposed when the plaque was cleaned and the old paper backing was removed, may well be of a slightly later date and subsequently added given that Sir Robert Walpole didn't receive his title until 1725 and this portrait apparently dates from a slightly earlier date - perhaps circa 1710 or thereabouts.

Robert Walpole, 1st Earl of Orford, KG, PC, known between 1725 and 1742 as Sir Robert Walpole, was a British statesman and Whig politician who is generally regarded as the first 'modern' prime minister of Great Britain.

Walpole was a Whig from the gentry class who was first elected to Parliament in 1701 and held many senior positions. He played a significant role in sustaining the Whig party, safeguarding the Hanoverian succession and defending the principles of the Glorious Revolution of 1688 whilst establishing an effective working relationship between the Crown and Parliament. Beginning his career as a country squire, he appealed to country gentlemen for his political base and his policies consequently sought moderation, working for peace, lower taxes and growing exports with a modicum of tolerance for Protestant Dissenters. By avoiding controversy and any major disputes his 'middle ways' generally attracted moderates from both the Whig and Tory camps. However an appointment to Chancellor of the Exchequer prior to becoming Prime Minister did raise some questions in parliament regarding perceived nepotism on his part after the South Sea Bubble scandal in 1720.

Literature:
C. Avery, David Le Marchand 1674-1726. An Ingenious Man for Carving in Ivory, London, 1996