After Antonio Canova

Antonio Canova's portrait of Paolina Borghese, Napoleon Bonaparte's sister and the wife of Prince Camillo Borghese, presents the sitter in the guise of Venus Victrix, holding the apple of Paris. Canova initially proposed a sculpture of Paolina Borghese as Diana, clothing her in drapery, befitting her aristocratic rank. However, the princess rejected this suggestion, requesting that she be presented as Venus, who is traditionally presented nude. The result is one of Canova's most celebrated commissions; a portrait that is both sensuous and provocative. The original marble, never intended to be exhibited publicly, is housed in the collections of the Villa Borghese in Rome. 

The present marble is a particularly beautifully executed bust version of Canova's model, and was probably carved circa 1820-1850. A possible candidate as sculptor for the present bust is Lorenzo Bartolini (1777-1750) who famously worked for Napoleon's sister Elisa Baciocchi, Grand Duchess of Tuscany (1777-1820). Some works hailing from Bartolini's workshop include initials or numbers (like that seen on the present bust); compare, for example, with the Napoleon attributed to Bartolini which was offered in these rooms on 7 December 2021, lot 84.