Donato Barcaglia

Overall the condition of the marble is good with minor dirt and wear to the surface consistent with age. There is dirt and minor dryness to the surface particularly at the ground, flowers and fingers. There is a small loss to the front right corner of the seat and a restored break to the front of the hat. There are some possible small losses to the foliage at the back. There are minor abrasions to the seat and edges of the ground. There are two small original holes in the fingers possibly to hold lost twine. There are some small losses to either ends of the broom. There are smaller chips and abrasions to the edges of the hat. There is a filled hole in the ground on the left side.
"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."

A native of Pavia, Donato Barcaglia trained in Milan and Rome. During a period of outstanding technical accomplishment in marble carving, Barcaglia was renowned for the exceptional quality of his work in this medium. The last vestiges of neoclassicism which influenced his early work were soon replaced by a personal form of verismo. Following early successes such as that of his Vendemmiatore, which he sculpted at the tender age of seventeen and which was installed in the Palazzo Reale in Milan, the sculptor exhibited to great acclaim in Europe and America. His work brought him to exhibitions as far afield as Boston, Philadelphia, and Buenos Aires. Far from turning his back on his native Italy, Barcaglia also executed several public monuments for Milan and its surrounding cities.

The present marble exemplifies Barcaglia’s preoccupation with beautifully carved and highly realistic genre subjects. A young street urchin is seated nonchalantly on an idealised socle, clutching a bundle of straw under his left arm and seemingly picking at his nails. The sculptor’s virtuoso treatment of marble is showcased in the naturalistic detail of the boy’s clothes and shoes, and the moss growing on the base. A variant of the model, in which the boy is polishing his shoe, is a popular feature in Paddington Gardens in Marylebone.

RELATED LITERATURE
A. Panzetta, Nuovo Dizionario degli Scultori Italiani dell'Ottocento e del Primo Novecento, Turin, 2003, vol. 1, pp. 72, 125