- 174
Pio Fedi
Estimate
15,000 - 20,000 GBP
bidding is closed
Description
- Pio Fedi
- Pia de'Tolomei e Nello della Pietra or il sospetto (The Suspicion)
- signed: PIO FEDI STATUARIO DI FIRENZE SCOLPi 1862: and inscribed: RICORDITI DI ME, ChE SON LA PIA: DANTE. Purgatorio Canto V. verso 133.
- partially polychromed white marble
Condition
Overall the condition of the marble is good with minor dirt and wear to the surface consistent with age. The woman's drapery falling over the edge of the base is partially restored. There are some chips to the edges of the man's cloak. There are losses and some smaller chips to the edges and corners of the 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. 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."
"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."
Catalogue Note
This refined group has an intricate, patterned surface, which recalls Pio Fedi's early training as a goldsmith and engraver. The subject is taken from a verse in Dante's Purgatorio, mourning the fate of 'La Pia'. In 19th century scholarship it was believed that 'La Pia' referred to a lady from the Sienese Tolomei family, who married Nello d'Ighiramo, only to be put to death by him at the Castello della Pietra in 1295, on suspicion of infidelity. In the 19th century version of the story, Pia was innocent and wrongly killed by confinement in an area where the air of the marshes was fatal. The contemporary commentator Theodosia Trollope, reviewing Fedi's version of the subject, wrote of the 'ill-fated lady' and interpreted the sculptor's depiction as the moment when the husband is about to leave Pia to her fate, ignoring 'her timid words of inquiry.' The first version of the model dates to 1846 and Fedi went on to produce a life-size version for Grand Duke Leopold II. It was one of his most popular models and he produced a number of reductions, mostly for the English market, who had a Pre-Raphaelite appreciation of the subject and its treatment. Another version can be found in the collection of the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, and a smaller reduction, measuring 68cm, was sold in these rooms on 2 June 2009, lot 82. The present marble has a superb surface, which is testament to Pio Fedi's skill as a virtuoso carver.
RELATED LITEARTURE
N. Penny, Catalogue of European Sculpture in Ashmolean Museum 1540 to the Present Day, Volume I Italian, Oxford, 1992, no. 32, pp. 35-37
RELATED LITEARTURE
N. Penny, Catalogue of European Sculpture in Ashmolean Museum 1540 to the Present Day, Volume I Italian, Oxford, 1992, no. 32, pp. 35-37