A French bronze model of Aesop after Pierre Legros the Elder (1629-1714), 18th century, with traces of gilding, the hunched figure portrayed with exaggerated features and carrying a bird and a scroll, on a rectangular base, 17cm high, 8cm wide The present model relates closely to the circa 1672-4 life-sized lead figure of Aesop by Legros in the Labyrinthe at Versailles, which appears to have become popular as a statuette shortly after its completion. It is possible that the model for the smaller-scale bronzes, such as the present example, may have been executed by Legros himself. The model is part of a series of ten known statuettes of Ancient philosophers and men of letters, casts of which are in the collection of the Victoria & Albert Museum (see for example A.23-1974). The whimsical and exaggerated rendition of the bronze statuette as well as the other known models in the series is much indebted to engravings of the 17th century, such as those of Jacques Callot. A similar statuette accompanied by one of Diogenes was sold at Christie's South Kensington, 4 February 2014, lot 205 (£2,250). Another, similar example was included in the Robert Strauss Collection, Christie's, May 3 1977, lot 103, there ascribed to Legros.