On May 22, 2025, in Neuilly-sur-Seine, Aguttes Auction House will present the Nicolas de Hurtado Collection (1854-1920). Preserved within the same family for over a century, this exceptional and previously unseen collection features ten remarkable bronzes dating from the 16th to the 18th century.


Nicolas de Hurtado

« It all started modestly with a family requesting an appraisal for three lovely bronze figures, then four, and finally eleven—forming a coherent and masterfully assembled collection. We had to uncover the remarkable collector behind it! One name emerged: Hurtado. As I eagerly delved into genealogical research and expert analyses of this ensemble, you can imagine our astonishment when I discovered in old newspapers the story of this collection being stolen by a servant ! »
— Grégoire de Thoury, Director of the Furniture & Works of Art Department - Expert


Nicolas de Hurtado Collection

Nicolas de Hurtado Collection (1854-1920)

A prominent figure of Belle Époque Paris, Nicolas de Hurtado (1854-1920) assembled this collection. Originally from Popayán, Colombia, and a descendant of a Viceroy of Peru, this wealthy banker led a vibrant social life in Paris. He was a member of the Cercle de la Rue Royale, where he was among the most esteemed young members in 1889.


Source : Journal of December 24, 1934

As reported by the press at the time, this bronze collection has had a tumultuous history. Hurtado was fatally struck by an automobile in 1920. In 1934, an unscrupulous servant stole the collection from the widow of the collector in Paris, but the police later recovered it intact.

Featured in a dedicated catalog, a small portion of the Nicolas de Hurtado Collection— which included various works of art—was auctioned at the Galerie Charpentier under the hammer of Henri Baudoin on June 4, 1937.

Passed down to a daughter of this great art enthusiast, the bronze collection remained in the family to this day. She married a Belgian aristocrat, and the collection was transmitted by descent.

A Unique Collection of Historic Bronzes

Preserved within the same family for over a century, this remarkable selection includes iconic figures highly prized by collectors, such as the Belvedere Antinous, the Spinario, and models by Barthélémy Prieur.

It also brings together rarer iconographies, including L’Éloquence, likely created in Padua in the mid-16th century, and Hercules Supporting the World.
While most of the bronzes range between 10 and 30 cm in height, collectors will also appreciate a large putto of 41.3 cm, crafted in the circle of Jérôme Duquesnoy, the sculptor behind Brussels' famous Manneken Pis.

« The emotion of discovering a collection preserved for so long within a single family is immense. The dazzling quality of these bronzes and the diversity of artistic schools they represent make this ensemble a rare and unique testament to refined taste. »
—Thomas Unger, Classical Arts Specialist, Brussels

Focus on Two of These Bronzes


After Barthélémy Prieur (circa 1536–1611)
Woman Trimming Her Nails
Small bronze figure of a nude woman, seated on a tree stump draped with fabric. Her head is covered with a bonnet. She holds her right foot with both hands, using her right hand to grasp a pair of shears. Her left foot rests on the ground. Three bronze tenons: one under the grounded foot, two under the stump.
France, first half of the 17th century.
Height: 11.1 cm – Width: 5.5 cm – Depth: 7.8 cm
(Wear, traces of gilding, mounted on a rectangular molded blackened wood base.)
Estimate: €4,000 – €6,000

PROVENANCE :
Nicolas de Hurtado Collection (1854–1920)
Likely stolen on December 21, 1934, and returned to the family on December 23 to the collector’s widow, Amparo, Baroness Beyens (1859–1946)
Remained in the family lineage to this day

The Allen Memorial Art Museum [Object number 1954.22] holds a nearly identical bronze attributed directly to Barthélémy Prieur, while another variant—where the stump is replaced by drapery—attributed to Prieur’s workshop, is housed in the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. [Inventory No. 1957.14.24].
The iconographic source for this small bronze is the Venus Removing a Thorn from Her Foot, an element of the stufetta Bibbiena decoration, created in the circle of Raphael in 1516, partially known through engravings by Marco Dente.


Prometheus or Ephebe Holding a Torch
Bronze figure of a standing, nude ephebe, his hair tied in a topknot with strands falling over his chest. He leans his left arm on a draped tree trunk, while his left hand holds a flaming torch. His right arm is raised above his head.
France, late 17th century – early 18th century.
Height: 36.4 cm – Width: 11.5 cm – Depth: 7.5 cm
(Wear, minor damage.)
Estimate: €3,000 – €5,000

PROVENANCE :
Nicolas de Hurtado Collection (1854–1920)
Likely stolen on December 21, 1934, and returned to the family on December 23 to the collector’s widow, Amparo, Baroness Beyens (1859–1946)
Remained in the family lineage to this day

Upcoming Auction
Thursday, May 22, 2025, at 2:30 PM

For more information or to include a lot in our upcoming sales, please contact :

Grégoire de Thoury
Director & Expert, Furniture, Sculpture & Works of Art Department
+33 1 41 92 06 46 - thoury@aguttes.com