Italian, Rome, 19th century After a model by Antonio Canova (1757-1822)

Overall the condition of the marble is excellent. There is some minor wear consistent with age. There are some minor surface inclusions consistent with the material at the shoulders, upper back and base. There is a small graze to the surface at her right buttock and another at the back of her neck. There are a few minor scratched to the base and a small area of plaster fill. Some naturally occurring veining is faintly visible accross the neck, left shoulder and left forearm. The condition of the white marble base is excellent.There are two small areas of yellow discolouration to her left nipple and the drapery in the crook of her arm.
"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."

Antonio Canova's Venus Italica was created to replace the antique Medici Venus which had been forcibly taken from the Tribuna of the Uffizi by Napoleonic forces during their occupation of Italy. Canova took on the commission in 1803 and asked for a cast of the original which had been installed in the Louvre. Like Pygmalion, Canova breathed life into the static antique model reinventing it in a graceful contemporary idiom. Cicognara noted the naturalism of the Canova's Venus in a letter to the artist of 1812: 'on quitting the bath the limbs begin to shiver, the arms and hands are drawn to the breast and the thighs come together as the body seeks through the motion of the muscles and the skin the towel that will dry them.'

The Venus Italica was one of Canova's most popular models and the accomplished marble carvers of Italy made versions throughout the nineteenth century.

RELATED LITERATURE
Canova, exh. cat. Correr Museum, Venice, 1992, no. 132, pp. 282-289