ANTONIO GIOVANNI LANZIROTTI | Hymenée de l'Amour et Psyché (The Marriage of Cupid and Psyche)

Private collection, southern France;
the present owners

Overall the condition of the marble is very good, with minor dirt and wear to the surface consistent with age. Cupid's proper left wing and Psyche's proper right wing are carved separately, and some white material is slightly visible around the joints. There is minor veining to the marble, consistent with the material, including a vein running from Psyche's proper right shoulder through her head and the top of Cupid's proper right wing. There is a slightly open, but stable vein to Cupid's proper right wrist and arm, and there is some fill to this vein. There are small inclusions to the surface in areas, in particular some slightly darker inclusions to Cupid's torso and proper left arm. There is some darker veining to Cupid's proper left upper thigh and calf. The coloured marble base is in good condition with some minor chips to the edges, in particular 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."

Lanzirotti studied in Palermo and then in Paris, under the tutelage of Joseph Michel Ange Pollet. He is also believed to have been a pupil of Valerio Villareale, Bertel Thorvaldsen and Pietro Tenerani in Rome (Vicario, op. cit., p. 598). His first major work, The Education of Bacchus, was exhibited at the 1855 Exposition Universelle at Paris. In 1860 Lanzirotti joined Garibaldi's Expedition of the Thousand, and was imprisoned at Gaeta for two months, before returning to Paris, where he kept a studio. In 1863 he was appointed portrait sculptor to King Victor Emmanuel II, and was commissioned to make sculptures of the Conte Verde and Duke Vittorio Amedeo I, for the Palazzo Reale in Torino. He was admitted to numerous Academies, and was awarded the Cross of Knights of Saints Maurizio and Lazzaro, admitted to the Order of the Crown of Italy, and awarded the Order of Isabel the Catholic.  The present work reflects the prominence of allegorical and classicising subjects within Lanzirotti's oeuvre. Among his other allegorical works are Amore Punito, La Follia, La Pensierosa, La Schiava Greca, and his playful Blind Love, sold in these rooms on 13 December 2000, lot 173. In the present figure, the touching representation is gently eroticised by Psyche's exposed breast, the chaste kiss that Cupid plants on her forehead, and the meeting of the figures' hands. The subject of Cupid and Psyche was popular during the late 18th and 19th centuries, treated most famously in the late 18th century by Antonio Canova. See his depiction of the standing figures, in the Louvre (inv. no. M.R. 1776), which re-imagined the antique figure in the Capitoline Museum to create a coolly elegant yet intimate composition. Canova's artwork undoubtedly paved the way for Lanzirotti's portrayal half a century later. 

RELATED LITERATURE
A. Panzetta, Nuovo Dizionario degli Scultori Italiani dell'Ottocento e del Primo Novocento, vol.1, Torino, 2003, p. 513; V. Vicario, Gli Scultori Italiani dal Neoclassicismo al Liberty, vol.2, Lodi, 1994, p. 598-99