Attributed to Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux (1827 - 1875) French, 19th century After Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564)

The condition of the terracotta is good, with dirt and wear to the surface consistent with age. There are some minor scuffs and chips to the surface of the clay, consistent with the material. There is a possible restoration to the back right hand corner 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."

Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux was profoundly influenced by the work of Michelangelo. When he visited Rome, he ceaselessly made sketches and studies of the Renaissance master's sculptures. The present terracotta is after Michelangelo's Medici Madonna and Child, in San Lorenzo, Florence. The sculptor has freely adapted the original composition, adding a second child to the right of the Virgin. Carpeaux's Virgin and Child with St John for the Church of Notre Dame du Saint-Cordon compares well to the present group (see Forneris and Ginépro, op. cit. no. 33). The rough modelling of the present group is characteristic of some of Carpeaux's work in terracotta and this sketchniess enlivens the present composition, evoking the boisterous energy of the two young boys.

A terracotta sketch after Michelangelo by Carpeaux was recently acquired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (inv. no. 2001.199) and, like the present terracotta, serves as a beautiful testament to one great sculptor's admiration of another.

RELATED LITERATURE
V. Beyer, A. Braunwald, L. Duclaux (eds.), Sur les traces de J. B. Carpeaux, exh. cat. Grand Palais, Paris, 1976; A. Middleton Wagner, Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux, New Haven/ London, 1985; J. Forneris & J. Ginépro, Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux, 1827-1875, exh. cat. Galerie des Ponchettes, Nice, Summer 1980, no. 33; M. Poletti and A. Richarme, Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux sculpteur. Catalogue raisonné de l'oeuvre édité, Paris, 2003, pp. 164-165, 183, nos. ES 12 and AN. EB 9