Attributed to Giuseppe Boschi (1783-1824) After models by Antonio Canova (1757-1822) Italian, Rome, circa 1815

Overall the condition of the bronzes is good with some wear and dirt to the surface consistent with age. There is some rubbing to the lacquer patina at the high points such as the noses and chin of Paris and the hair on the right side of Helena. There is greening to the crevices, specifically in the hair, and some dryness to the surface at the shoulders and hat. There are some minor pits and nicks to the surface throughout. Both are loose on their socles. Paris has some small stable hairline fissures to the truncation at the back due to casting flaws. Paris has been remounted on his socle and the area around the joint was painted black. There are a few chips to the edges of the serpentine base. The socle of Paris has been reconstructed after a break and has several losses to the lower edges of the base because of this.
"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."

These elegant bronze busts are cast after Antonio Canova's celebrated models respectively in the Hermitage, St Petersburg (1810) and the Palazzo Albrizzi, Venice (1811) (Praz, op. cit., pp. 118, 121-122, nos. 207 and 239). They compare almost precisely with another pair of bronze busts of the same models, which appeared in the 1991 exhibition Fasto Romano and were attributed by Alvar González Palacios to the leading Roman bronze caster Giuseppe Boschi (op. cit., pp. 113-114). According to González Palacios only the Roman founders Francesco and Luigi Righetti or Giuseppe Boschi would have been capable of casting such high quality bronze versions of Canova's models. Given that the Righetti brothers were preoccupied with other commissions, he concludes that Boschi must have been responsible for the busts.

Paris and Helen are the mythical protagonists in Homer's Iliad. Paris' love for the beautiful Helen famously leads to the Trojan Wars and the eventual fall of the city of Troy. The present very finely cast bronze busts would have been particularly appealing to British, Russian and German Grand Tourists, who eagerly sought high quality souvenirs from their travels.

RELATED LITERATURE

M. Praz, L'opera completa del Canova, Milan, 1981, pp. 118, 121-122, nos. 207 and 239; A. González Palacios, Fasto Romano, exh. cat. Palazzo Sacchetti, Rome, 1991, p. 113-114, fig. 16-17