A. Donati for Bazzanti

Pietro Bazzanti (1842-1881) was a central figure in the production of Florentine sculpture during the 19th century. He ran a highly successful gallery, which had been opened by his father Niccolo in 1822 and still exists today. The gallery sold works under its own name, executed by prominent sculptors such as Cesare Lapini (1848-after 1893), Ferdinando Vichi (1875-1945) and, in the present case, the sculptor A. Donati, about whom few biographical details are known. 

Depicting an ethereal woodland nymph, the present marble is imbued with an erotic allure underscored by the delicately carved diaphanous drapery that envelops her form. The English inscription 'Gallery' indicates that the marble was destined for export to Britain or America.