Luigi Bienaimé (1795-1878), Italian, 1835

Prince Galitzin, probably identifiable as Prince Dmitri Vladimirovich Galitzin (1771–1844), in 1835;
Richard Grosvenor, Viscount Belgrave, later 2nd Marquess of Westminster (1795-1869), Eaton Hall, Cheshire;
thence by descent to Hugh Lupus Grosvenor, 3rd Marquess of Westminster, later 1st Duke of Westminster (1825-1899);
Wm. Haswell and Son, stonemasons, Chester, from circa 1870;
acquired by the present owner in 1978

A. M. Ricci, Scultore di Luigi Bienaimé da Carrara, Rome, 1838,
H. Tesan, Thorvaldsen und seine Bildhauerschule in Rom, Cologne, 1998, p. 168

Overall the condition of the marble is good, with minor wear to the surface consistent with age. There is faint naturally occurring veining visible on the surface, including to the buttocks, legs and to the helmet at the back. There is a slightly visible partially open vein to the proper right side of the chest. There are a few small naturally occurring inclusions. A section of the left side of the base has been reattached (the skillful execution of this reattachment signals that this was done in the workshop and is contemporary with the sculpture). There are a few chips to the edges of the base. The front section of the scabbard strap has been broken and restored in three pieces and the supporting marble pin is reattached. The sword hilt is reattached. The penis is reattached. The sculpture has been outside with some resulting loss to the surface detail due to weathering, including to the hair.
"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."

'...beautiful and sublime in form and expression'
Bienaimé's Telemachus described by Count Hawks Le Grice in 1841

This important, re-discovered neo-classical marble depicts Telemachus, the son of the legendary Odysseus and his faithful wife Penelope. Whilst Odysseus made his slow journey home from the Trojan war, his young son grew to manhood and set out to find his father. Eventually the two were reunited and conveived a plan to take revenge on the suitors who had been besieging Penelope during Odysseus's long absence. Odysseus entered the court in disguise, and together with Telemachus, he slew the importuning suitors. The present marble shows Telemachus arming himself in readiness for the revenge.

Luigi Bienaimé studied at the Accademia di Belle Art in Carrara, where he was born. He won the school's prestigious Roman prize and left for the Eternal city in 1818. Once there he joined the studio of Bertel Thorvaldsen at Via Quattro Fontane, where he became one of Thorvaldsen's most trusted and technically accomplished collaborators.

Thorvaldsen's influence on the younger sculptor can be clearly seen in the present marble. Bienaimé's Telemachus closely echoes Thorvaldsen's Ganymede, exhibiting the same languorous contraposto, with the weight on the left leg in a sinuously curving pose. In both, the right arm forms an arch above the head, whilst the left hand is raised to hold a sword and a cup respectively. Thorvaldsen based his composition on Praxiteles' Satyr Pouring Wine, several versions of which survive, most famously the model in the Dresden Staatliche Kunstsammlungen. The genius of both Bienaimé and his master was to bring life and contemporary elegance to a very direct interpretation of the antique.

The commissioner of the marble is listed as Prince Galitzin and may be identifiable with more than one member of one of the noblest families in Russia. The most likely candidate is Prince Dmitri Vladimirovich Galitzin (1771-1844) famed for his bravery in the Napoleonic wars and governor of Moscow for twenty five years. He was well acquainted with the second owners of the marble: Richard Grosvenor and his wife, Lady Elizabeth. In 1827 when the couple visited Russia, they were given letters of introduction to the governor of Moscow by the Empress. Prince Galitzin provided them with an English-speaking guide and hosted them at the theatre.

Prince Galitzin's Telemachus was admired by the Tsar of Russia, who subsequently commissioned his own version from Bienaimé as part of a series of antique figures to adorn his Winter Palace, now the Hermitage Museum. The plaster model for the Telemachus is preserved at the Accademia Nazionale di San Luca in Rome.

RELATED LITERATURE
A. Panzetta, Nuovo dizionario degli scultori italiani, vol. I, Turin, 2003, p. 91; V. Vicario, Gli scultori italiani, vol. I, Lodi, 1994, pp. 137-8; Count Hawks Le Grice, Walks through the Studii of the Sculptors at Rome, vol.I, Rome, 1841, pp. 127-8; G. Huxley, Lady Elizabeth and the Grosvenors: Life in a Whig Family, 1822-1939, London, 1965, pp. 131-46