An extremely rare Tournai Figural Bust of Venus, modelled, probably by Joseph Willems, Circa 1760 - 65

An extremely rare Tournai Figural Bust of Venus, modelled, probably by Joseph Willems, the goddess wearing diaphanous free flowing silken clothing in the classical style, bearing one breast, her head angled to one side wearing a
single large pearl drop at her forehead beneath an arched hair ornament, her hair very neatly coiffed and with a double en queue wrapped in lengths of cloth, she wears a triple strand of pearls at the throat and a further pearl ornament hangs at her breast, supported on a pedestal base moulded at the front with a palm leaf, with contemporary gilt metal mounts.

This classical figure would appear to be allegorical of beauty and therefore the Goddess Venus, the pearls that she wears are symbolic of beauty and are close attributes of the Goddess, as both were born of the sea and from shells. The palm leaf at the front of the pedestal symbolises the ultimate triumph of Love placed as it is with Venus herself. The appearance of the face is very close to the style of modelling on terracotta figures signed by Joseph Willems.