Vincenzo Vela

Overall in good original condition, with the usual wear to the patina in places especially high reliefs consistent with handling and touching. Light scratches and dents consistent with age. Surface dirt to crevices. Please note that there is no 1867 date following the signature. The department encourages interested parties to use our online e-catalogue's zoom function to enjoy magnified and alternate views of this lot.
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.

Vela was one of the great exponents of Realism in sculpture and the founder of the verismo movement in Italy. His Last Days of Napoleon is a prime example of that combination of melodrama with acute attention to detail. At the Paris Salon of 1867, Vela's Napoleon was a sensation, although it elicited much debate as to whether it was too Realist or too Romantic.

Vela chose to depict Napoléon as a chair-bound invalid, tracing the ruins of his former empire across a map of Europe. Nonetheless he has retained a heroic bearing which gives the composition its monumentality and emotional tangibility.