拍品 124
  • 124

ITALIAN, ROME, LATE 18TH/ EARLY 19TH CENTURYAFTER THE ANTIQUE | Pudicity

估價
12,000 - 18,000 GBP
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描述

  • Pudicity
  • marble
  • 85cm., 33 1/2 in.

Condition

Overall the condition of the marble is very good, with minor dirt and wear to the surface consistent with age. There is some minor veining to the marble, consistent with the material, in particular to the base and to the drapery at the back, just above the base. There are a few small naturally occurring inclusions, including some filled inclusions to the drapery at the chest and on the proper left shoulder. There are further minor inclusions, in particular to the back. There is particular dirt to the crevices around the base. There are minor chips and abrasions, in particular to 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."

拍品資料及來源

This is a marble reduction of the antique model discovered in Rome during the 16th century. The sculpture appeared in an anthology of prints published by Domenico de Rossi in 1704, when it was in the Villa Mattei. The statue, along with the other important pieces in the collection, was sold to Pope Clement XIV by Don Giuseppe Mattei in September 1770. By 1774 it was in the Museo Pio-Clementino, and it was moved to its current location in the Braccio Nuovo (Musei Vaticani) in the mid-nineteenth century.  Winckelmann interpreted the figure as the Empress Livia, sharing the view of many scholars of the 18th century, though the names Pudicity or Pudicitia were also common (Haskell & Penny, 1981, p. 300). The view was supported by the standard depiction of Livia wearing a veil, seen on the reverse of Roman coins - a classically Roman idealisation of the modest matrona. The Pudicity was also identified variously as the elder Faustina (wife of Antoninus Pius), Sabina (wife of Hadrian), the goddess Juno, or the Tragic Muse Melpomene. By the late 19th century, scholars recognised that the drapery and the idealised, matronly depiction of the figure resonated with the sepulchral sculptures of Asia Minor in the 2nd century B.C. 

The statue was not widely copied, perhaps owing to its designation as a portrait. However, Horace Walpole famously commissioned a copy from Filippo della Valle in 1740-1, placed in Westminster Abbey in 1754 as a monument to his mother. The memorial reflected her role as the companion of a great statesman, in the manner of Livia and the elder and younger Faustina. 

RELATED LITERATURE
F. Haskell and N. Penny, Taste and the Antique. The Lure of Classical Sculpture, New Haven/ London, 1981, pp. 300-1