Pasquale Romanelli

Overall the condition of the marble is good, with minor dirt and some wear to the surface consistent with age. There is some veining to the marble consistent with the material, including to the proper right shin and to the jacket around the hips. There are several naturally occurring inclusions to the marble, including several to the proper left side of the face (with some dirt), an area of inclusions to the proper left shoulder at the back, and further inclusions to the proper right paw of the cat and the boy's proper right hand and a small chip to the proper right lower eyelid. There are a few minor orange marks including to the proper left shoulder and to the base. The corner of the sleeve on the proper right arm has been reattached. There are a few small chips, in particular around the bottom edge. The column is composed of three sections. A corner of the base is lost. There are further losses to the lower and upper edges of the middle section towards the back. There are several further chips and abrasions.
"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."

This charming marble represents Dick Whittington, a figure of English myth based on Sir Richard Whittington (circa 1350-1423), Lord Mayor of London between 1397 and 1423. According to the story, Dick Whittington was a poor boy from Gloucestershire, who walked to London, where he eventually found work with a merchant called Fitzwarren. Dick fell in love with Fitzwarren's daughter, and lived upstairs in the attics, where he kept a cat to chase away the rats. One day Fitzwarren offered all his servants the opportunity to buy a share in a sailing voyage. Being poor, Dick could only offer his cat. Eventually, having no news of the voyage, he left London for Gloucestershire, but turned back when he heard the city bells toll thrice foretelling his election three times as Mayor of London. He turned back to discover that the ship's captain had returned with a fortune in gold, earned through Dick's cat, which had killed the rats plaguing a foreign kingdom. Rich beyond comprehension, Dick married Alice and went on to become Lord Mayor of London. In reality Sir Richard Whittington was the son of a Lord and a powerful member of the Mercers' Company. A merchant and money lender, he was proclaimed Lord Mayor of London by Richard II, thanks to his close ties to the Royal Court. The legendary story of Dick Whittington probably grew up due to ignorance surrounding his charity, which was established to help London's poor, and is still in operation today.

The Florentine sculptor Pasquale Romanelli achieved an international reputation for his finely carved mythological and biblical marble figures. Romanelli began his training at the Accademia di Belle Arti in Florence under Luigi Pampaloni but was soon taught by the foremost Tuscan neoclassical sculptor, Lorenzo Bartolini. Remaining in Bartolini’s favour, he went on to become his collaborator and, upon the master’s death in 1850, the successor of his studio. Romanelli’s mythological and allegorical compositions were highly prized by a cosmopolitan clientele, and he exhibited select models in Paris. One such work, La Delusa, which he presented in 1851, was acquired by the Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg. In addition to collectors’ marbles, Romanelli executed numerous important commissions for monuments, such as those to Vittorio Fossombroni in Arezzo, Masi in Pavia, and Demidoff in Florence. Romanelli’s final tribute to his master, Bartolini’s tomb monument, is housed in the Church of Santa Croce in Florence. After Romanelli’s death in 1887, his son Raffaello and grandson Romano continued his legacy which lives on to the present day; the Romanelli studio, now a private museum, remains a rare survival in Florence.

RELATED LITERATURE
A. Panzetta, Nuovo dizionario degli scultori italiani, Turin, 2003, pp. 781, 815, fig. 1606