France, 17th century The triumph of Neptune, Roman god of the sea (Greek: Poseidon) Terracotta bas-relief Drawn by two sea horses; old restorations, small accidents and missing parts H.70 cm (27 ½ in.) l.103 cm (40 ½ in.) Provenance: Sale in Paris, Hôtel Drouot, 7 June 2019, lot 16. A terracotta relief of the Triumph of Neptune, French, 17th century *Information for buyers : Lot from outside the EEC: to the commissions and taxes indicated in the general terms and conditions of purchase, import VAT must be added (5.5% of the hammer price). *Information to the buyers : Lot from outside the EEC : an import tax (5,5 % of the hammer price) will be due, in addition to the commissions and taxes indicated in the general conditions of purchase. Our relief is closely linked to the central scene of a famous engraving by Marcantonio Raimondi dated 1516-16 after Raphael, the Quos Ego, a collection of scenes from Virgil's Aeneid. The scene recounts Poseidon's power, which extends not only to the surface of the water, but also to everything on it. He can unleash a storm against Odysseus' raft: "As he said this, he rallied the clouds and troubled the sea, trident in hand; from the four corners of the horizon he unleashed the four winds, and covered the land and the sea with clouds; from the heavens night fell. Notos, Euros, howling Zephyrus, azure Boreas fell together, raising huge waves" (Odyssey, V, pp. 291-296). The sculptor was undoubtedly influenced by the École de Fontainebleau and the work of Jean Goujon (circa 1510-1565). There are similarities in the architectural and pyramidal composition around the figure of Poseidon, an interplay of high and low relief with the terracotta relief representing the Fall of Phaeton with Poseidon attributed to Jean Goujon and dated to the first half of the 16th century and kept at the Château de Chantilly- Musée Condé (OA 1802).