Edward Hodges Baily

Overall the condition of the marble is good. There is dirt and wear to the surface consistent with age, including a few chips and scratches to the edges of the base. There are a number of small naturally occurring inclusions. There is naturally occurring veining throughout the surface, with particular areas of veining at the back of the figure and a vein running through the legs. There is an area of particular wear to the hair on the right side. The condition of the base is good.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

In his posthumously published lectures to the Royal Academy, Henry Weekes, professor of sculpture, described Baily's Eve as 'one of the most beautiful examples of English ideal Sculpture as yet known to us.'

Extraordinarily, the model was first conceived by Baily as a design for the handle of a soup tureen for one of the City Companies. Baily was equally proficient in the art of small-scale design and large-scale sculpture. He had trained in the workshops of the jeweller Rundell and Bridge as well as the studio of John Flaxman.

According to Graves, Baily's Eve at the Fountain was first exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1820, presumably in the plaster version now in the Victoria and Albert Museum. The first marble was exhibited in 1822 and is now in the collection of Bristol City Art Gallery. Another version in marble is in the Carlsberg Glyptotek, Copenhagen. The popularity of the model gained the artist wider European recognition. Its success led him to continue the theme in the related work Eve Listening to the Voice of Satan, a marble version of which is in the Victoria and Albert Museum. Eve at the Fountain was shown at the Great Exhibition of 1853 and again in the 1862 International Exhibition, London and the present version may have been the result of a commission gleaned from these shows.

RELATED LITERATURE
D. Bilbey & M. Trusted, British Sculpture 1470 to 2000, catalogue Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 2002, pp. 185-8; A. Graves, The Academy of Arts: A Complete Dictionary of Contributors, London, 1905, p. 93; H. Weekes, Lectures on Art delivered at the Royal Academy, London, 1880, pp. 296-7; F. Friborg, Catalogue European Sculpture, NY Carlsberg Glyptotek, Copenhagen, 1997, cat. 27, pp. 63-5