Lot 155
  • 155

Attributed to Giuseppe Piamontini (1664-1742) Italian, Florence, circa 1700

Estimate
30,000 - 50,000 GBP
bidding is closed

Description

  • Female Figure
  • terracotta
  • Attributed to Giuseppe Piamontini (1664-1742) Italian, Florence, circa 1700

Condition

Overall the condition of the terracotta is good with some wear and dirt to the surface consistent with age. There are possible remains of old pigment in the crevices. There is a slip to the surface which may conceal some condition points. The slip has been retouched in a few areas, including the face. The proper right hand appears to have been restored and the fingers reattached. There is a retouched slip to the proper right arm up to the elbow which could conceal further condition points. The terracotta is hollowed out, with three holes at the back. There are a few minor stable hairline fissures, as a result of the firing process, including to the proper left index finger, the proper left sleeve, the top of the head and the back of the hair and the drapery at the back. There are also a few slightly open but stable fissures, including above the middle cavity at the back, and to the back at the bottom, leading to a loss at the bottom edge. There is an open but stable joint between the proper left hand and the drapery. There is a restoration to the top of the base on the proper left side at the back. There are a few small lacunae, consistent with the material. There are a few chips and abrasions to the high points, and notably the edges of the drapery at the front and to the base, where there is a larger chip at the front. The base rocks forward slightly on an even 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."

Catalogue Note

This impressive terracotta of a female figure clad in abundant drapery is a new addition to the oeuvre of Giuseppe Piamontini, one of the most accomplished sculptors of the Florentine Baroque.

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