Piero Guccione b. 1935

Acquired directly from the artist by the present owner

In good condition aside from paper bubbling from mount in scattered places. Mount backed by cardboard.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

These three works (lots 57, 58 & 59) are from a group created specifically to illustrate a deluxe edition of  Il Gattopardo by Giuseppe Tomaso di Lampedusa (Limited Editions Club, New York, 1989).  It was the only novel by the author, who was a minor Sicilian prince, and was loosely based on the career of his grandfather, also a Sicilian prince, in a story which runs from 1860 to 1910.  Though written in the years following World War II and published shortly after the author's death in 1957, the novel has the sweep and flavor of the great epic novels of the late 19 th century.

Instantly hailed as one of the great novels of Italian modern literature, a film version was directed by Luchino Visconti in 1963.

The title refers not to a leopard, the normal translation for 'gattopardo', but the serval, a smaller wild cat with similar markings, native to north Africa; it forms part of the author's family crest.  The animal appears in the present work.