Attributed to Andrea di Alessandri, called Il Bresciano (fl. 1550-1575) Italian, Venice, third quarter 16th century

Professor Michael Jaffé CBE (1923-1997), Cambridge, United Kingdom;
and thence by family descent;
on loan to the Fitzwilliam Museum, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom (1976 - 2016)

Overall the condition of the bronze is good, with some wear and dirt to the surface consistent with age. There is some rubbing to the lacquer patina at the high points. There are a few small lacunae, notably one to the proper left eye. There are a few holes around the hollowed back, which may have served for mounting. There are two metal dowels to the underside with which the bronze slides into the base, however they do not slide in fully and therefore the bronze sits loosely on the base. There is some fill to the top of the base, intended to hold the bronze in place. The condition of the marble base is good, with very minor wear.
"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."

The present bronze has been associated with the enigmatic Venetian bronze caster Andrea di Alessandri, known as Il Bresciano, whose model of a satyr exhibits similar facial features and an almost identical treatment of the beard, with thick, wavy curls (Avery, op. cit., figs. 3 and 4). A closely comparable bronze of an Evangelist was sold at Sotheby's New York, 11 January 1995 (lot 87) as part of the Cyril Humphris collection, there given to the workshop of Jacopo Sansovino on account of its affinity with Sansovino's figures on the Sacristy door in San Marco.

RELATED LITERATURE
B. Boucher, The Sculpture of Jacopo Sansovino, New Haven and London, 1991, vol. II, fig. 160; C. Avery, 'Not quite Sansovino and not quite Vittoria: Andrea di Alessandri, called Il Bresciano, in Sculpture Journal, IX, 2003, pp. 46-61