- 8
Italian, late 19th / early 20th century After the Antique
Estimate
25,000 - 35,000 GBP
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Description
- Crouching Venus
- white marble
- Italian, late 19th / early 20th century After the Antique
Condition
Overall the condition of the marble is very good, with minor dirt and wear to the surface consistent with age. There is some veining to the marble consistent with the material, notably to the legs and the base. There are few small naturally occurring inclusions, including to the proper left shoulder, the proper right cheek, and the back. There are minor chips and abrasions around the edges of the base.
"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."
"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
A nineteenth century English tourist in Florence wrote that of all the Venuses in the Uffizi, ‘a pretty little crouching Venus alone caught my fancy’. Considered to represent either the Goddess after birth or emerging from her bath, the Crouching Venus was a type highly esteemed by Grand Tourists, whose demand for high quality copies produced a number of variations on the theme.
The most famous copy was executed by Coysevox in 1686 for Versailles, but the Crouching Venus has been reproduced repeatedly in an array of mediums; Paul Cézanne, for example, frequently drew the Louvre’s Aphrodite Accroupie (inv. no. Ma2240), and adapted it for his version of Les Grandes Baigneuses. The present marble, with twisted torso and one arm reaching over her head appears to follow most closely a Roman copy in the Louvre (inv. no. MA 53).
RELATED LITERATURE
F. Haskell and N. Penny, Taste and the Antique: The Lure of Classical Sculpture, 1500-1900, New Haven and London, 1981, pp. 321-323, no 86