Vincenzo Gemito

family of Vincenzo Gemito;
by descent to the artist's daughter, Giuseppina Gemito;
private collection, Italy

Overall the condition of the silver is good, with wear and some dirt to the surface consistent with age. There is some tarnishing to the silver, in particular in the crevices, including the hair and face, and the inside of the basin. There is also white silver polish residue in some of the crevices. There is some very slightly visible craquelure, or scratches in the metal, including to the boy's spine. There are several minor nicks and scratches, including to the boy's shoulders, his legs, and the top of the base. An original circular insert is slightly visible at the proper left shoulder. The underside is lined with green felt.
"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."

The Acquaiolo was commissioned from Vincenzo Gemito by the former King of the Two Sicilies, Francesco II, and first modelled in 1881. The following year a cast was sent to the great French painter-sculptor Jean-Louis-Ernest Meissonier, who described the bronze as ‘delicious’ and presented it at the Paris Salon. Several versions were produced by Gemito and his foundry, including casts that concealed the boy’s nudity with the addition of a pair of trousers. Playing on the subject throughout his career, Gemito modelled a variant in 1909 known as the Nuovo Acquaiolo.

Francesco II, then in exile in Paris, is said to have desired a work of art that would serve as a reminder of his lost kingdom. With the Acquaiolo, he received a quintessentially Neapolitan sculpture, a life-affirming work of realism inspired by both contemporary street-life and Italy’s artistic heritage. In the young water vendor’s harmonious arrangement of outstretched arms, and his thick strands of hair, one may recognise the influence of one of the most admired antiquities on display in Naples, the Dancing Faun from Pompeii. The artful symmetry of the boy’s contrapposto positioning, however, is juxtaposed against the heightened realism of his physique: lithe, almost elastic limbs and a youthful belly indicate the boy’s social status as a young, hungry worker. He is enlivened through his veristic, provocative smile, as he cheekily proffers a jug of water to the passer-by while irreverently standing on an antique fountain. For his masterful portrayal of a Neapolitan street urchin, Gemito, who came from a humble background, undoubtedly drew on his own experience in the streets of Naples.

Gemito produced a number of casts of the Acquaiolo in silver, reputedly as part of the artist’s attempt to achieve a lost-wax cast without the use of nails that would leave holes in the finished metal surface. One of these casts was exhibited at the Esposizione Internazionale di Roma in 1911. The present cast can be precisely dated to the end of 1911, when Gemito makes specific mention to it in a letter he wrote to his daughter from Naples on 8th November of that year.

RELATED LITERATURE
M. S. de Marinis, Gemito, Rome, 1993, pl. 172; K. McArthur and K. Ganz, Vincenzo Gemito. Drawings & Sculpture in Napels & Rome, exh. cat. Kate Ganz USA, New York, 2000, p. 20, no. 7; D. M. Pagano, Gemito, exh. cat. Museo Diego Aragona Pignatelli Cortes, Naples, 2009, p. 104, no. 14