Italian, 19th century After the Antique

Overall the condition of the marble is very good, with minor wear and some dirt do the surface consistent with age. The marble might benefit from a light professional cleaning. There is particular dirt to the back. There are some minor naturally occurring inclusions to the surface in areas, including a few filled inclusions to her proper left side. There is minor veining to the marble consistent with the material, including two circular veins to the side of her proper right upper leg and side. There is a scratch to the proper left buttock, and there are a few very minor chips at high points. There is a minor restoration, or possibly vein, to the tip of the nose.
"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."

The discovery of Willem van Tetrode’s bronze reduction of the Venus de’Medici revealed that this most iconic of antique marble Venuses was known as early as the mid-16th century. By 1638, the Venus was certainly located in the Villa Medici in Rome, from which she acquired her name. In 1677 she was sent to Florence and installed in the Tribuna of the Uffizi, where she remains to this day, having been briefly replaced by Antonio Canova’s Venus Italica during her sojourn in France between 1803 and 1815. Thought to be a Graeco-Roman adaptation of the fabled Aphrodite of Knidos by Praxiteles, the Venus de’Medici counts among the most glorified and controversial statues from antiquity. Every inch of the marble has been scrutinised in her long reception history, from Lord Byron’s gushing “description of the indescribable” to the Duke of Shrewsbury’s criticism of her arms. It is perhaps partly because of her illustrious position and provenance that the Venus de’Medici is the most famous of several ancient marbles depicting the goddess in the alluring pudica pose, notably the Capitoline Venus. The statue’s notorious beauty inspired countless copies throughout the centuries, including plaster casts, full-size marbles and reductions in bronze.

RELATED LITERATURE
F. Haskell and N. Penny, Taste and the Antique: The Lure of Classical Sculpture 1500-1900, New Haven/London, 1982, pp. 325-328