69. 69W Cercle de Charles-André, dit Carle van Loo (Nice 1705-1765 Paris) Scène de bataille, probablement Alexandre et Porus Circle of Charles-André, called Carle van Loo (Nice 1705-1765 Paris) A battle scene, probably Alexander and Porus oil on canvas 199 x 315cm (78 3/8 x 124in). Provenance: Anon. sale, Christie's, Monaco, 22 June 1991, lot 142 (as French School, circa 1750); Collection Michel Guy; Anon. sale, Loudmer, Drouot, 30 June-1 July 1993, lot 31 (as circle of Charles-André Van Loo, called Carle van Loo); Private Collection, France, where purchased by the present owner in 2019 This impressive, and partially unfinished canvas may well depict the Battle between Alexander and Porus. It has been suggested by Christophe Henry, who is currently compiling a catalogue raisonné on Carle van Loo, that the present work could have been painted in response to a commission by the architect Filippo Juvara to decorate the 'Salon de las empresas del Rey' at Royal Palace of La Granja, near Madrid. The artist is known to have exhibited an initial composition at the Salon of 1738 but that he abandoned it after it was heavily criticised. Little is known of this work of 1738 but it is not possible to identify it as the present lot as descriptions of the exhibited painting mention the presence of an elephant. It has always been assumed that the second work of this subject, exhibited by van Loo in 1739, is the one he later delivered to Juvarra and is most likely known through a sketch, now in the Musée des Beaux-Arts, Marseille (inv. no. 1998-1-1). Henry suggests that the present work could be a further, intermediary composition as the dimensions are comparable with other works from the cycle for La Granja. Christoph Henry is planning to include this work in his forthcoming catalogue raisonné as no. P103. Alessia Rizzo has suggested that the present battle scene is most likely a studio work or executed by a close follower of the artist. We are most grateful to both Christoph Henry and Alessia Rizzo for their kind help in cataloguing this work and for providing their opinions. We are also grateful to Alastair Laing for suggesting an alternative attribution to Antonio Calza (1658-1725 Verona).