Attributed to Claude Beissonat Southern Italian, 17th century

Ducheessa Barbara Scott
Francesco Melzi d'Eril, Duca di Lodi (1753-1816)

Overall the condition of the ivory is excellent. There is some minor wear and splitting consistent with age and material. Joints are visble at the shoulders and the index fingers of both hands. A hole on the top of the head suggests a fixture may be missing. The scroll bearing 'INRI' is loose. The condition of the wooden cross is excellent.
"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 morphology of the drapery folds of this very large and beautifully carved ivory corpus is closely comparable to signed works by Claude Beissonat – in particular his signed corpora in the church of the Convento de la Encarnación and in the Academia de San Fernando, Madrid, and the Immaculata and Saint Teresa of Ávila in the Palazzo Pitti, Florence.

Francesco Melzi d'Eril was the vice-president of the Italian Republic from 1802. As a young man in Milan Melzi held liberal views in sympathy with the ideas of the French Revolution.  He welcomed the arrival of Napoleon's troops in Italy. Around 1800 he was instrumental in negotiating the French control in Italy and was appointed vice-president of the Republic. Melzi was active in the moderisation of the political administration and campaigned for the right to Italian autonomy.

RELATED LITERATURE
M. M. Estella Marcos, La escultura barroca de marfil en España: Las escuelas europeas y las coloniales, Madrid, 1984, vol. 1, figs. 106-110, and vol. 2, pp. 69-75