Scipione Tadolini

Overall the condition of the marble is good with dirt and wear to the surface consistent with age. There are a few small chips and abrasions to the leaves. A large section of the right side of the base is carved separately or possibly reattached and restoration is visible. There is veining to the marble throughout consistent with the material, in particular to the chest and abdomen. There are a few small naturally occurring inclusions. There is some powder to the crevices at the back. The marble would benefit from professional cleaning.
"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."

Scipione Tadolini was a member of the famous Roman Tadolini family of sculptors and the son of Adamo Tadolini, Antonio Canova's principal studio assistant and protegé. Scipione's Eve, conceived in the late 1860's at a time when the sculptor was approaching the height of his career, ranks, together with the Schiava Greca, as being one of his most celebrated and successful models. Scipione presents Eve after the fall, her hand raised to her cheek, as if in contemplation of her sin, and her nudity partly obscured by leaves. Eve is a re-imagining of the classical nude, evoking the Hellenistic model of the Crouching Venus, though lending to it a Biblical subject and an air of romanticism. Scipione's debt to the classicism of his father and to Canova is evident in the sensual modelling of Eve's form. The plaster model of Tadolini's Eve is housed in the Palazzo Braschi, Rome, whilst a full sized marble version can be found in the collections of the Glasgow Museums.

RELATED LITERATURE
A. Panzetta, Nuovo dizionario degli scultori Italiani dell'ottocento e del primo novecento da Antonio Canova ad Arturo Martini, Turin, 2003, pp. 900-901