Lot 41
  • 41

Sebastiano Ricci

Estimate
300,000 - 500,000 USD
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Description

  • Sebastiano Ricci
  • Venus in the forge of Vulcan
  • oil on canvas
  • 72 x 102 inches
  • 182.3 x 259.1 cm

Provenance

Probably Robert Adam and James Adam, before 1765:
Probably their sale, London, Prestage, 15 February 1765, lot 67;
Probably anonymous sale, London, Prestage, 22 January 1766, lot 46 (from a sale including paintings from the collection of John Bouttats);
Probably anonymous sale, London, Christie's, 4 February 1769, lot 53 (from a sale including paintings from the collection of Thomas Barrett);
James Wyatt;
George F. Carline, RBA (1855-1920), by 1909;
Thence by descent in the family;
With Agnew's, London;
From whom acquired by the present collector in 1987.

Literature

A. Scarpa, Sebastiano Ricci, Milan 2006, pp. 305-306, cat. no. 463, reproduced p. 473, fig. 248.

Condition

The following condition report has been provided by Simon Parkes of Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc. 502 East 74th St. New York, NY 212-734-3920, simonparkes@msn.com, an independent restorer who is not an employee of Sotheby's. This large work has not been recently restored. It could be hung in its current state if the varnish were freshened, but there is some blanching to some of the darker colors that may not be resolved with varnish. The work has an old lining, which is supporting the canvas adequately. Under ultraviolet light, restorations are clearly visible throughout all of the figures and background. The restorations are numerous, but isolated. There are no signs of abrasion to the paint layer; these restorations address losses and breaks in the canvas. The retouches are quite well applied. If the blanching to the varnish could be resolved, the work would be very presentable. One could also clean the work and apply a more saturating varnish, but the retouches would then have to be replaced.
"This lot is offered for sale subject to Sotheby's Conditions of Business, which are available on request and printed in Sotheby's sale catalogues. The independent reports contained in this document are provided for prospective bidders' information only and without warranty by Sotheby's or the Seller."

Catalogue Note

This impressive large-scale canvas by Sebastiano Ricci is almost certainly identifiable as the painting once belonging to the celebrated architects, Robert and James Adam (see Provenance). The painting was first published in 2006 by Annalisa Scarpa (see Literature) who believed it to depict Thetis in the Forge of Vulcan, an episode from Homer’s Iliad in which the goddess requests armor for her son, Achilles, for his battle against the Trojan hero, Hector. The prominence of Cupid in the dynamic composition, however, suggests it is more likely to represent “Venus going to Vulcan for the Arms of Aeneas,” as it is listed in the 1765 catalogue of the Adam property (see Provenance). The painting was one of a large group, including works by Guido Reni, Ludovico and Annibale Carracci and Nicholas Poussin, which according to the Prestage catalogue of 1765 were “Collected by them [the Adam brothers] during a Stay of eight Years in Italy, Fran­ce, and Holland.” The Adam Venus is listed in the Prestage catalogue as measuring 6 ft. 2 in. by 8 ft. 8 in. (74 by 104 in.), almost identical to the dimensions of the present canvas.

Like many British young men at the time, Robert and James Adam toured Europe, but only Robert completed the full Grand Tour and took up residence in Rome. His study of the antiquities there profoundly influenced the young architect and when he returned to London five years later he set up his own practice with his brother and developed his iconic Neoclassical “Adam Style.” The firm fell into dire financial straits when the brothers’ ambitious Adelphi project, a development in London from 1768 to 1772, left them bankrupt, and most likely led to the subsequent auction of their art and other property.