Jean-Baptiste-Gustave Deloye

Overall the condition of the marble is good with some dirt and wear to the surface consistent with age. A restoration is visible at the proper right ring finger, and two more possible restorations at one of the folds of drapery at the back. There is a fill and some staining at the proper left shoulder blade, and some staining to the hair at the back. There is some veining in the marble consistent with the material, including at the proper right shoulder, the abdomen, and the lower back. There are some small abrasions to the drapery in between her legs.
"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."

Jean-Baptiste-Gustave Deloye was born in the Ardennes in 1838, and as a young artist in Paris studied under respected sculptors Jouffroy and Dantan the Younger. During his long career exhibiting at the Paris Salon, Deloye won acclaim for his busts and medallions of celebrated contemporaries. In 1892 he was awarded the Légion d’honneur.

After the Franco-Prussian war of 1870-1871, Deloye stayed in Vienna, Austria, where he created busts of Count Andrassy, Count Levachoff and of the Prince of Liechtenstein. He returned to Paris in 1879 and made a statue of Charles-Nicolas Cochin, located at the Hôtel de Ville in Paris. He also worked for the Châteaux of Chenonceau and Boissiere, where he modelled portraits, statues and decorations in the 18th century style. Among his most important works is the Garibaldi Monument, which was erected in Nice.

Carved in 1870, the present marble depicts an unidentified young female nude. The girl represents an imaginative world of pleasure and freedom, and is a charming example of Deloye’s mastery of decorative work.

RELATED LITERATURE
S. Lami, Dictionnaire des Sculpteurs de l'École Francaise au dix-neuvieme siècle, Paris, 1916, vol. 2, p. 158