Pietro Calvi

There is weathering to the surface of the marble. There are a few small chips and scratches to the marble, including to the edges of the drapery and to the reverse at the signature. There is some evidence of staining to the marble at the signature and a few paint marks. The front section of the marble hood is carved separately and may be reattached. There is adhesive to some of the crevices where the bronze face meets the marble. There is dirt to the crevices. The bottom section of the marble is carved in original separate section, visible to the reverse. Otherwise the condition of both bronze and marble is good. The marble base is in good condition with minor dirt and wear to the surface.
"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."

Pietro Calvi was a sculptor of international repute in the last quarter of the nineteenth century. He exhibited widely outside Italy and worked for a time in the United States. His dramatic 1867 bust of Othello is one of the masterpieces of the coloured sculpture tradition.

Born in Milan, Calvi studied at the Accademia, but the greatest formative influence on the young artist was the sculptor Giovanni Seleroni with whom he collaborated. It was Seleroni who encouraged Calvi's colouristic experiments. Calvi worked, like so many of his contemporaries, on the decoration of Milan Cathedral for which he carved the statue of the St Valeria. Most of his Ideal busts explore theatrical and operatic subjects. Selika and Aida  are well known examples. Calvi's American sojourn resulted in his very popular busts of Uncle Tom and the Minstrel.

Calvi exhibited a version of Ali-Ben Ladiar in Turin in 1884 and again at the Paris Salon in 1885, where it was paired with a female bust, his Aleydah. Two fine pendant busts of Ali-Ben Ladiar and Aleydah by Calvi were sold in these rooms on 27 June 2007.