Italian, Florence, early 18th century

Overall the condition of the bronze is very good with minor dirt and wear to the surface consistent with age. The bronze has a beautifully tooled surface, which is well preserved, and an attractive brown patina, with golden undertones. There are a few minor dark spots and marks, including to both cheeks and to the neck on the proper right side. There is an area of minor wear, including some scratches, to the proper right side of the neck. There are a few further minor nicks and scratches, including one or two nicks to the headdress. There is a slightly visible plug at the base of the neck at the front. There are two very minor stable fissures to the forehead. There are some small casting flaws on the proper right edge of the drapery, and also a small original plug. Minor wear to the base which is connected via an iron strut.
"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."

This elegant bust of a young woman exhibits a superbly cast and chased surface, which places it on a level with some of the finest bronzes made in 18th-century Florence. Balanced on a single protruding fold of drapery, the sculptor has succeeded in making the bronze appear almost weightless. The drapery is characterised by beautiful rippling folds, recalling works by Massimiliano Soldani-Benzi, such as his Bust of Augustus in the Liechtenstein collections, Vaduz (inv. no. SK571 and SK513), and his Andromeda and the Dragon (Pratesi, op. cit., fig. 538). These folds imbue the bronze with a sense of energy and movement, as the light flashes across the undulating surface. In contrast, the girl's idealised facial features and serene expression ultimately lend a sense of calm to the composition. Her flesh has been expertly finished with subtle striations, which temper the reflective appearance of the bronze and add to it an almost graphic quality. These striations also appear in the drapery where they seemingly mimic the threads of the cloth, as they follow the course of the folds. It is the hair, however, that is the most impressive feature: braided and tied behind the head with a scarf and finished with a chisel after casting. The sculptor who was responsible for this bronze was clearly operating at the top of his field. Whilst it would be tempting to suggest an attribution to Soldani or to Pietro Cipriani, their works exhibit slightly different surface treatments, though of a similar very high quality. Instead, it can be argued that the bronze is by another, possibly unknown, sculptor from their circle.

Another version of the model was sold in these rooms on 9 July 2009, lot 130, where it was described as French, late 16th century or 17th century. The cataloguer compared the model to works by the 16th-century sculptor Francesco Primaticcio who worked for François I of France. Comparison was made with Primaticio's Belvedere Venus and Cybele from the collection of François Girardon, as well as the Double Head in the J. Paul Getty Museum, Malibu (inv. no. 2011.45). From this it might therefore be argued that the present bust has a French origin (comparison might be made to Girardon or Le Lorrain). However, whilst the model is undoubtedly the same, the facture and finish are both clearly different; note, for example, the absence (in the 2009 version) of the protruding fold of drapery on which the girl seemingly balances. Rather, it seems likely that the model is probably Italian, and has its roots in Roman models, chiefly the Zingarella (formerly in the Borghese collection, now in the Louvre, inv. no. MR 393) and the Sappho (Palazzo Massimo, Rome, see Baratte et al., op. cit., no. 295). 

RELATED LITERATURE
Liechtenstein: The Princely Collections, exh. cat., Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1985, pp. 90-94, nos. 55-62; G. Pratesi, Repertorio della scultura Fiorentina del seicento e settecento, Turin, 1993, figs. 491-590; S. Baratte, G. Bresc-Bautier, S. Castelluccio, S. Descamps-Lequime and A. Lefébure, Les Bronzes de la Couronne, exh. cat. musée du Louvre, Paris, p. 168, no. 295