THOMAS VINÇOTTE | Andromeda

Overall, the condition of the marble is very good, with some dirt and wear to the surface consistent with age. There is some veining to the marble, consistent with the material, including some slightly dark veins to the proper left side of the head at the hair, to the proper left side of the neck, to the proper right upper arm, to the proper left arm at the top and to the back on the proper left side. There are a few naturally occurring inclusions, including to the proper left shoulder and to the proper right arm. There are some blackish dirt marks to the proper right forearm and the proper left upper thigh. There are some minor chips and abrasions to the bottom edge.
"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 Aethiopean princess Andromeda was to be sacrificed to a monstrous sea creature in order to appease the gods. Chained to a rock by the coast, Andromeda was stripped naked and left to die. The Medusa-slaying hero, Perseus, chanced upon the girl and vanquished the monster to win Andromeda’s hand in marriage. The heroine is here represented not in the midst of her peril but in a calm, contemplative pose, having resigned herself to her fate. 

Baron Thomas Jules de Vinçotte was one of the foremost Belgian marble sculptors of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. A pupil of Guillaume Geefs and later at the Académie des Beaux-Arts in Brussels, Vinçotte continued his studies in Paris, before embarking on a sojourn in Florence between 1877 and 1878. Having exhibited in Paris as well as London, in 1881 Vinçotte became the official court sculptor to Leopold II, King of Belgium. He specialised in portrait busts as well as monumental sculpture, executing numerous important commissions in Brussels and beyond. Many of Vinçotte's accomplished works are now in Belgian museums. In 1884 the sculptor exhibited at the Exposition internationale de peinture et sculpture organisée par les XX at the Palais des Beaux Arts, alongside artists such as Auguste Rodin and Max Liebermann. 

RELATED LITERATURE 
E. Bénézit, Dictionnaire des Peintres, Sculpteurs, Dessinateurs et Graveurs, Grund, 1999, vol. 14, p. 272