Pietro Calvi

There is dirt and wear to the surfaces consistent with age. The busts are constructed in sections of marble and bronze and there are some original stable joints visible. The upper sections of both turbans are carved separately and there are further marble plugs in the tops of both turbans (square for the male; circular for the female). The figures have been outside, as there is dirt and dryness to the surfaces of the marbles, including bird excrement to the female bust. However, there is little evidence of weathering, and it is therefore likely that the busts may have been under shelter. A section of the male bust at the back on the proper right side appears to be lost (there are holes here, which suggest it was an original separately carved section). There is a split running through the marble in the man's drapery from the centre of the chest through to the proper left shoulder and through the back across the top of the signature. There is a further split with some losses at the man's turban above his forehead. There are a few chips to the woman's headdress at the tasseled edges and to her lace shirt. There are some losses to the woman's shirt along the front edge, including at the sternum and below both breasts. There are also some losses to the edges of the back. There is a partially legible inscription below the signature on the female bust: MI... The rear left corner of the woman's socle has been knocked and the bronze has fractured at the corner and warped slightly along the proper left side; however the socle is stable. There are a few further small fissures to both socles. There are some areas of minor greening to the bronzes, including on the man's socle and to his neck. There are a few small lacunae in the bronze, including at the back of the man's socle. There are a few small losses (or short pours) at the edges of the socle of the male bust. There is minor wear to the polychromy of both busts. There are paint marks to the marble at the woman's proper left shoulder.
"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 standing during the last quarter of the nineteenth century.  He exhibited widely outside Italy and worked for a time in the United States.  His dramatic bust of Othello is one of the masterpieces of the coloured sculpture tradition.

The present busts exploit the same striking colouristic effects as the Othello, contrasting white and coloured marbles with rich bronze and gilding.  The pairing of Aleydah and Ali-Ben Ladiar was one made by the artist when he exhibited them together first in Turin in 1884 and then at the Paris Salon in 1885.

Aleydah is a character from the romantic novel El Rey Maldito by Manuel Fernandez y Gonzales (1821-1888).  Aleydah, with all her beauty, candour and purity became an Egyptian heroine and, like Aida, was of Ethiopian origin.  A bust of Aleydah was first exhibited at the Esposizione Generale Italiana, Turin and at the Reale Accademia, Milan in 1884.

Born in Milan, Calvi studied at the Accademia, but the greatest formative influence on the young artist was 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 Saint Valeria.  He also worked in the nearby Galleria Vittorio Emmanuele.  Most of his ideal busts explore theatrical and operatic subjects.  Selika (see lot 40, Sotheby's London, 26 November 1998) and Aida (see lot 68, Sotheby's London, 9 December 1993) are well known examples.  Calvi's American sojourn resulted in his much reproduced busts of Uncle Tom and The Minstrel (Sotheby's, London, 9 July 2002, lot 160).