French, late 16th century/ 17th century

Overall the condition of the bronze is very good. There is some minor wear and dirt to the surface consistent with age. There are a few minor nicks to the surface, particularly around the truncation and drapery. Two points were the iron mount is fixed are visible low at the neck. The head is slightly loose on its mount.
"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 present head of a woman demonstrates a facture and cast associated with or influenced by bronzes executed in France at the foundries of the Château de Fontainebleau. More specifically, six bronzes produced under Francesco Primaticcio for Francois I and inspired by Roman prototypes. The Fontainebleau bronzes were cast by Pierre Beauchesne and Benoit Le Boucher.  Primaticcio's Belvedere Venus is a compelling stylistic comparision to the head of a woman with idealized facial features and similarly stylized parted wavy hair.

The Janus bust formerly in the Yves Saint Laurent collection also shares these features with both the present head, the Belvedere Venus and a head of Cybele from the collection of the sculptor Francois Girardon  (Cabinet des Medailles, Paris and illustrated in Souchal).  Comparisions can also be made with a head of Niobe (MR 1701) and another of Sappho (MR3353) both in the Louvre, Paris and another Head of Niobe with Heim Gallery, London, in 1966 and catalogued as L'Antico.

Primaticcio was an Italian painter, sculptor and architect born in Bologna who, together with Rosso Fiorentino, became one of the most influential Italian artists in France in the 16th century and a great exponent of the Fontainebleau school.  Other sculptors of the school included Nicolò dell'Abate, Jacopo Vignola, Sebastiano Serlio and Benvento Cellini.

RELATED LITERATURE
G. Vasari, Vite, 1550, 1568, ed. G. Milanesi, vii, 878–85, pp. 405–24; L. Dimier: Le Primatice, peintre, sculpteur et architecte des rois de France , Paris, 1900; E. Panofsky and D. Panofsky, 'The Iconography of the Galerie François I at Fontainebleau', Gazette des Beaux Arts 5, LII, 1958, pp. 113–90; G. Bresc-Bautier, G. Scherf and J. Draper, Cast in Bronze, exh. cat. Paris, New York, Los Angeles, 2008, pp. 64-9; Les Bronzes de la Couronne, exh. cat. Louvre, Paris, 1999, no. 286, 295, pp. 164-8; F. Souchal, "La Collection du Sculpteur Girardon d'après son inventaire après décès", Gazette des Beaux Arts, LXXXII, 1973, no. 113; Forty paintings and sculptures from the gallery's collection, exh. cat. Heim Gallery, London, Autumn 1966, p. 9, no. 18