Netherlandish, late 17th century/ early 18th century

Probably commissioned by William Craven, 1st Earl of Craven (1608-1697) for Combe Abbey, Warwickshire;
thence by descent;
eventually acquired by and with Christopher Gibbs

H. Avary Tipping, English Homes, Period IV., Vol. I, Late Stuart (1649-1714), London, 1920, p. 157 and p. 161. Illustrated at Combe Abbey, Warwickshire positioned outside the West Front, flanking the steps leading to the lake.

Cupid holding a torch: There is overall weathering and dirt to the surface. There is restoration to both wings including replaced sections to the proper right wing. There are a number of fissures to the stone probably following lines of naturally occuring veining, these are stable. The proper right hand has been replaced from the forearm. There is loss to the proper left hand. Putto grasping a sword: There is overall weathering and dirt to the surface. There are a number of fissures to the stone probably following lines of naturally occuring veining, these are stable. There is restoration to the proper right wing and the left wing has been replaced. The big toe of the proper left foot has been replaced.
"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 marble putti are known to have been at Combe Abbey, Warwickshire, where they stood outside the West Front, flanking the steps leading to the lake, before coming to Ashdown House. With their determined expressions and prominent bottom lips, they find close stylistic parallels in two early eighteenth-century Dutch groups in the Rijksmuseum representing Hate and Love, which are thought to have been sculpted by Jacob Vennecool or Jan Pieter van Baurscheit (Inv. nr. RBK 16988b). Four further terracotta figures of children in the style of Michiel Emanuel Shee, sold at Sotheby's in Monaco in 1989, exhibit the same high foreheads, abdominal creases and prominent pectoral muscles as seen in the present marbles.

RELATED LITERATURE
Jaap Leeuwenberg (ed.), Beeldhouwkunst in het Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, 1973, no. 357, pp. 263-4;
Frits Scholten, 'The Larson Family of Statuary Founders: Seventeenth-Century Reproductive Sculpture for Gardens and Painter's Studios,' Simiolus: Netherlands Quarterly for the History of Art, Vol. 31, No. 1/2, 2004-2005, pp. 54-89