Giovanni Battista Lombardi Italian, 1823-1880

There has been an area of restoration to the tip of one of the leaves held in the bouquet at her breast and there has been an area of restoration to the little finger of her proper left hand and the flowers in her proper left hand have been re-attached. Otherwise the condition of the marble appears to be very good with a few minor inclusions consistent with the material and some minor surface dirt and wear consistent with age. The condition of the column is good with a few minor chips to 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."

This beautiful marble of Flora is part of a long tradition of representations of veiled women in Italian sculpture which originates in the early 18th century.  The superb technique used in the delicate polishing of the surface epitomises the unrivalled skill of Italian carvers.

Antonio Corradini's large group of Time unveiling Truth, documented in 1717 as part of a series of garden groups, is perhaps one of the first representations of the seductively veiled woman.  Corradini made this motif a particular speciality, repeating it in several works such as Tuccia, Sarah and Pudicizia (cica 1750).  This theme was taken up by Innocenzo Spinazzi later in the 18th century.  Spinazzi's figure of Faith (S. Maria Maddelena dei Pazzi, Florence) is probably his most famous work in this genre.

In the 19th century, Raffaelle Monti gained great acclaim at the Great Exhibition in 1851 with his veiled depiction of Eve after the Fall and repeated this success in the dramatic veiled allegorical marble The Sleep of Sorrow and the Dream of Joy, now in the Victoria & Albert Museum.  The present figure of Flora is also comparable to the work of Giovanni Battista Lombardi (1822-1880). His bust of A Veiled Girl, sold in these rooms, as lot 96, 26 November 1996, is sufficiently close to this Flora to substantiate an attribution to Lombardi.