Odoardo Fantacchiotti

white marble

signed: O FANTACCHIOTTI



height 36¼in.; 92cm.



See catalogue note at SOTHEBYS.COM

Fantacchiotti is renowned for his beautiful and refined marbles which revived Renaissance inspired subjects in the Neoclassical period. These skills are highlighted in a low-relief carving of the Virgin and Child in the collection of the Victoria & Albert Museum (inv. no. 7582-1861). His technique was so impressive that it was initially thought the relief may have been by Donatello when the museum initially purchased it from a private collection. It was suggested at the turn of the century that it was later than Renaissance, and Sir John Pope-Hennessy later attributed it to Fantacchiotti’s hand.

Fantacchiotti specialised in carving sculptures of young children, and the serenity of the present sculpture reflects his passion for this subject matter. He attended the Accademia in Florence and trained under Stefano Ricci, who was a follower of Canova and Thorvaldsen. As his artistic career developed, Fantacchiotti became known as a master at conveying emotion through sculpture.

RELATED LITERATURE

M. Jones, Fake? The Art of Deception, London, 1990, p. 197