British, first half 19th century After the Antique

Overall the condition of the marble is good with minor wear and dirt to the surface consistent with age. There is some veining to the marble consistent with the material, notably to the chest and to the shoulders at the back and some very light veins to the face. There are some very well restored breaks to the leaves at the front which are slightly visible under torchlight, and there are further restorations to the proper left arm. There are a few very minor chips including to the bottom ends of the foliage and to the edges of the socle. There is a small filled inclusion with some discolouration to one of the leaves at the back.
"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 marble is a particularly beautiful version of the celebrated Roman marble Clytie in the British Museum, which comes from the collection of Charles Townley (inv. no. BM GR 1805. 7-3. 389). An educated Italophile, Townley journeyed to Italy on no fewer than three separate occasions (1767-1768; 1771-1774 and in 1777), acquiring important antique marbles on each trip. His most treasured possession was the Clytie, so-called because of the lotus leaves around the truncation, which convinced many of her identity as the nymph from Ovid's Metamorphoses whose unrequited love for Sol (Helios) transformed her into a flower whose head followed the course of the sun across the sky. Townley's love for the sculpture was legendary and led to the birth of a spurious anecdote which claimed that, during the anti-Catholic Gordon Riots in 1780, he fled his house dragging only the Clytie with him, exclaiming 'I cannot leave my wife'.

Scholars today believe that the bust may represent Antonia (36BCE - 38 CE), daughter of Mark Antony and mother of Claudius. The sculptor Joseph Nollekens (1737-1823) produced several copies of the bust, including one dated 1807, which he sold to Townley's uncle (Roscoe, op. cit., p. 908). In terms of quality, the present bust ranks alongside works by Neoclassical artists such as Nollekens or Westmacott and was clearly carved by a first rate, if anonymous, sculptor.

RELATED LITERATURE
I. Roscoe, E. Hardy and M. G. Sullivan, A Biographical Dictionary of Sculptors in Britain 1660-1851, New Haven and Yale, 2009, p. 908