Pasquale Romanelli

inscribed P. Romanelli Firenze to the base.

Overall in good condition and very good presentation; restored finger to left hand of middle figure; small chips around lower edge of base.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Pasquale Romanelli achieved an international reputation for his finely carved mythological, historical and monumental figures.  The artist trained and worked in Florence, first with Luigi Pampaloni and subsequently with Lorenzo Bartolini, the most distinguished Tuscan Neoclassical sculptor, whose studio he inherited.  The Romanelli studio, now a private museum, remains a rare survival in Florence.

The Three Graces-Aglaia, Euphrosyne, and Thalia-individually represent qualities revered by the ancient Greeks: splendor, mirth, and good cheer, respectively. Together, they personified grace and charm, and were expected to entertain and amuse the Olympians. According to Edith Hamilton, the role of the three sisters was simply to delight the gods of Olympus, and merriment and visual pleasure were their principle assets. "They are not treated as separate personalities, but always together, a triple incarnation of beauty and grace...they give life its bloom." (Edith Hamilton, Mythology, 1969, p. 37) It was the poet Hesiod who names the Graces in his Theogony, "then Eurynome, Ocean's fair daughter, bore to Zeus the three graces, all fair-cheeked, Aglaia, Eurphrosyne, and shapely Thalia; their alluring eyes glance from under their brows, and from their eyelids drip desire that unstrings the limbs." Still other stories claim the Graces as the maids of the love goddess Aphrodite.

In the first half of the 19th century the Neoclassical sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen created his version of The Three Graces, followed by James Pradier's own sensuous rendition. Between 1812-16 the masterful neoclassical sculptor Antonio Canova created The Three Graces for the Empress Josephine and received great critical acclaim.