- 155
Attributed to Giuseppe Piamontini (1664-1742) Italian, Florence, circa 1700
Description
- Female Figure
- terracotta
- Attributed to Giuseppe Piamontini (1664-1742) Italian, Florence, circa 1700
Condition
"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."
Catalogue Note
A student of Giovanni Battista Foggini from the age of 12, Piamontini continued his training under Ercole Ferrata and Circo Ferri at the Accademia Fiorentina in Rome. During his distinguished career in Florence, Piamontini frequently collaborated with Foggini and executed notable commissions, including sculpture for the Baptistery and the Church of SS Annunziata.
The present terracotta is a convincing showpiece of Piamontini's precise modelling technique. The distinctive classicising facial features, combined with exuberant drapery, compare well with Piamontini's marble Bust of Juno in the Palazzo Pitti (Pratesi, op. cit., no. 445). A further argument for Piamontini's authorship of the present figure is its striking resemblance to his San Giuda Taddeo at the Chiesa dei Santi Michele e Gaetano in Florence, whose rippling drapes and smoothly modelled flesh are repeated here.
Interestingly, casts of models by Piamontini were made by the Doccia manufactory. Three such casts in terracotta were sold as part of the Arthur M. Sackler Collections at Sotheby's New York, 29 January 2010, lot 477. Although the present terracotta is not a cast, its height corresponds almost exactly to those figures, indicating that it may have been made as a model for a similar purpose.
RELATED LITERATURE
K. Lankheit, Florentinische Barockplastik, Munich, 1962, pp. 165-167; G. Pratesi, Repertorio della Scultura Fiorentina del Seicento e Settecento, vol. 3, Turin, 1993