Lot 60
  • 60

Francesco Bertos (1678-1741) Italian, Venice, first half 18th century

Estimate
10,000 - 15,000 GBP
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Description

  • Allegory of Fortune
  • bronze
  • Francesco Bertos (1678-1741) Italian, Venice, first half 18th century

Provenance

Sylvia Phyllis Adams, London, until 1996; 
her sale, Bonhams, Knightsbridge, London, The Sylvia Phyllis Adams Collection, 23 May 1996, lot. 65:
Bonham's London, 3 March 1999, lot 185;
Christie's London, 8 July 2010, lot 205

Literature

C. Avery, The Triumph of Motion: Francesco Bertos (1679-1741) and the Art of Sculpture. Catalogue Raisonné, Turin, 2008, p. 229, no. 133, pl. nos. 10 and 77

Condition

Overall the condition of the bronze is good with minor dirt and wear to the surface consistent with age. there are a number of stable fissures, some of which may be original casting joints, including: at the standing man's lower legs; where the drapery connects with the reclining man's proper right leg and the standing man's right leg; at Fortune's proper left forearm; at the standing man's proper left upper arm and elbow. Cupid's proper left foot has popped out of its socket in the base. There are a number of slightly visible original casting plugs, including: at the standing man's proper right leg at the back; to his proper right thigh; and to the reclining man's proper right leg. There are a few minor stable fissures to the base. The edges of the base are uneven in areas where there has been a short pour. There are some minor scratches and nicks to the patina, such as to the reclining man's lower proper right leg and proper left arm. There are a few specks of green dirt, such as to Fortune's proper right leg.
"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

The Venetian sculptor Francesco Bertos is famous for his virtuoso multi-figure bronze groups that are particularly admired for their technical accomplishment being cast often in one piece.

Around 1730, Bertos was questioned by the Italian Inquisition.  The charge was that his astounding virtuosity in carving complex figure groups in marble was achieved by some form of pact with the devil.  Bertos had to defend his pious sincerity against this false accusation, which may have been made by a jealous rival sculptor.  It is believed that his multi-figure group of the Triumph of Christianity, inscribed HVCVSQ(V)E F. o BERTOS LICVIT (Thus far [and no further] it has been permitted to Francesco Bertos [to go]), was made as testimony to his religious belief and obedience. The groups which Avery suggests were used by the Inquisition as proof of Bertos's unnatural skill are the lost, but documented marble allegories of the Arts were commissioned by Johann Matthias von der Schulenburg. These ambitious marbles were partly paid for by 1732 and announced a sculptor of unique talent, but one who seems to have emerged suddenly and without a clear teacher; even Bertos's birth and death date were unknown to modern scholars until Avery's monographic study in 2008.  What sketchy biographical information there is comes from some general early 19th-century publications. G.A. Moschini notes that the Venetian sculptor Giovanni Bonazza (1654-1736) was his teacher - and there is a certain stylistic comparison.

The demands of Bertos's main patrons, such as Antonio Manin and Johann Matthias von der Schulenburg, certainly encouraged erudite, not to say obscure and inventive, iconography. A few documented commissions demonstrate that each figure should have a specific identity, but at the same time, there seems to have been built into the individual protagonists, and their relationships, an intentional ambiguity of meaning which was meant to stimulate debate amongst the observers. As Avery described it, his most complex compositions are the advanced crossword puzzles of their day. The present group appears to show Fortune with a torn sail, sitting astride a figure of misfortune, who is clubbing a young man who has fallen to the ground. Cupid dances around the edge of the scene.