John Gibson

There is dirt and wear to the surface consistent with age, including a few small chips and scratches. There is some loss to the surface, which may be consistent with minor weathering. There are a few small naturally occurring inclusions in the marble. There are remnants of an old sticker label on Venus' proper right leg at the front. Otherwise the condition of the marble is 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."

John Gibson exhibited the original painted version of this model at the London International Exhibition of 1862, where its polychromy caused a sensation. One scandalised critic wrote that it was 'a naked, impudent English woman ... [with] enough vulgarity in it to destroy all alluring power, and every sign of the goddess.' Gibson's intention, however, had not been to shock. Recognising that antique statuary would have been painted, his aim was to bring sculpture closer to antiquity, through the use of polychromy. He later wrote, 'I tinted the flesh like warm ivory – scarcely red – the eyes blue, the hair blond, and the net which contains the hair golden,' arguing that 'a cold white statue would ... have appeared incomplete to that people [the ancient Greeks].' Whilst the present marble is not polychromed, it nevertheless conveys the idealised classicism developed by Gibson as a student of Canova and Thorvaldsen and for which he is most celebrated.

RELATED LITERATURE
R. Panzanelli, E. D. Schmidt and K. Lapatin, The Color of Life. Polychromy in Sculpture from Antiquity to the Present, ex. cat. Los Angeles, 2008, pp. 164-165, no. 33