Italian, 18th century

Overall the condition of the marble is very good, with minor dirt and wear to the surface consistent with age. There appears to be a barely visible area of restoration to the front of the helmet. There is some very light veining to the marble, consistent with the material, including to the helmet, to the forehead and nose, and to the chest. There are also a few small naturally occurring inclusions, including to the collar on the proper right side, and to the chest below the mask. There is a chip to the mask's nose. There are a few further minor chips and abrasions, including to the edges of the helmet and the truncation, to some of the leaves, to the high points of the cloak at the bottom, and slightly larger chips to the truncation at the back. There are a few light scratches to the top of the helmet. There are a few minor dirt marks, including to the helmet at the back and to the bottom of the chest. The yellow marble socle is in good condition with minor dirt and wear, including very minor chips and a small loss at the back where it meets the bust.
"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."

Powerful and imposing, this large-scale Neoclassical marble bust is derived from the head of Menelaus from the Pasquino group, one of the most celebrated antiquities, of which two principal versions exist, one in the Loggia dei Lanzi in Florence (recorded in 1501) and another in Rome (recorded in 1570) reputedly found in the Mausoleum of Augustus. The group represents the episode in Homer’s Iliad when Menelaus supports the lifeless body of Patroclus on the battlefield. The inclusion of laurels around the body of the helmet is reminiscent of late Baroque sculpture, and can be seen in works by Giuseppe Rusconi (Fortitude with Two Morning Putti, 1734-1736, S. Giovanni in Laterno) and Pierre-Étienne Monnot (Fortitude) (see Engass, op. cit., figs. 26 and 229). The subject locates the present sculpture to Florence or Rome, whilst the style of carving (high quality polished surfaces) lends weight in support of a Roman attribution towards the end of the 18th century or the beginning of the 19th century. It should be noted that a Bust of Menelaus was discovered by Gavin Hamilton at Hadrian’s Villa in Tivoli in 1771 and was installed in the Vatican. A drawing of the bust survives in the British Museum attributed to Vincenzo Pacetti (inv. no. 2010,5006.1707), a significant Neoclassical carver and restorer of antiquities in the closing decades of the 18th century. Pacetti used the model for his terracotta Achilles and Penthesilea (1773, Accademia Nazionale di San Luca, Rome; Peters Bowron and Rishel, op. cit., pp. 273-275), underscoring the currency of the model at that time. The present very finely carved Grand Tour bust is likely to have been made by a sculptor of similar standing within Pacetti’s Neoclassical circle.

RELATED LITERATURE

R. Engass, Early Eighteenth-Century Sculpture in Rome, University Park and London, 1976; E. Peters Bowron and J. J. Rishel, Art in Rome in the Eighteenth Century, exh. cat. Philadelphia Museum of Art and MFA Houston, 2000