A George III Coadestone figure of a Vestal Virgin dated 1794,

naturalistically cast and on a circular plinth base,  stamped COADE LAMBETH, restorations, together with a cream painted square plinth

Traces of old dirt and marks. Signs of restorations to bowl and hand. Chips to inscribed base. Height of painted MDF modern plinth - 64cm.
"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."

This wonderful figure demonstrates precisely the skill of the craftsmen in the employ of Mrs. Coade's Artificial Stone Manufactory in Lambeth, South London at the end of the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Eleanor Coade established her business at Pedlar's Acre around 1769 having moved to London from Lyme Regis, Dorset. Her business was an immediate success and the company produced a vast range of objects for an international client base. The remarkable versatility and durability of her secret recipe for 'Artificial Stone' undoubtedly assisted in the recognition it received and in one of the company's own advertisements they boast that it has 'a property peculiar to itself of resisting the frost and consequently of retaining that sharpness in which it excels every kind of stone sculpture'.

In addition to the remarkable product, Eleanor Coade's astute business acumen prompted her to employ some of the finest sculptors of the time, including de Vaere, Rossi, Bubb, Flaxman and Bacon whilst the architects James Paine, James Johnson and Samuel Robinson were employed as the designers in many instances.

Coade was responsible for popularising this method largely through her professional relationship with the architect Sir John Soane (1753-1837) upon whose buildings can be found multiple examples of her technique. The present figure stands fixed rigidly to the spot, articulated by the vertically falling folds of the drapery, and seen in the symmetrical composition, from the order of her facial features to the angle at which her feet are parted. Whilst the stillness of this veiled figure helps to emphasise the pious nature of the composition, it is the proffered hands holding an urn which affords depth and imbues a sense of naturalism to the pose. The figure is stylistically reminiscent of Soane's strict neoclassicism and compares closely with a number of the figures and ornaments supplied to him by Coade. With her serene classicising pose, the present figure bears testament to Coades professional relationship with Soane, as well as to the eighteenth-century taste for the antique and to the contemporary fascination with the notion of the Vestal Virgin.