Attributed to Carlo Marochetti

There has been wear to the patina, perhaps caused by some slight weathering. There is an open but stable casting joint to the drapery at her proper right side. Otherwise the condition is very good.
"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."

Writing in 1850 William Michael Rossetti described Marochetti's Sappho:

'...there is a grace and charm in the work which will arrest not the eye merely, but the mind. Sappho sits in abject languour, her feet hanging over the rock, her hands left in her lap, where her harp has sunk; its strings have made music assuredly for the last time. The poetry of the figure is like a pang of life in the stone: the sea is in her ears, and that desolate look in her eyes is upon the sea; and her countenance has fallen. The style of the work is of an equally high class with its sentiment – pure and chaste, yet individualized. This is especially noticeable in the drapery, which is no unmeaning sheet tossed anyhow for effect, but a real piece of antique costume, full of beauty and character.'

An unsigned marble of this model is in the Russell-Cotes Museum in Bournemouth. We are grateful for the assistance of Philip Ward-Jackson who has suggested the attribution based on the Rossetti text.

RELATED LITERATURE
W. M. Rosetti, The Critic of Books, Engravings, Music and Decorative Art, Vol.9, No.224, 1 August 1850, p.383