Pio Fedi

Overall the condition of the marble is good, with some dirt and wear to the surface consistent with age. There is particular dirt in the crevices. There are a few small naturally occurring inclusions to the marble, including to the top of the head, the proper right cheek, the proper left side of the abdomen, and to the back; some of these are filled. There is some light veining to the marble consistent with the material, including to the proper right arm and the proper right cheek. There are a few chips, in particular around the edges of the wings, one of the leaves, and to the lock of hair in the girl's hand. There are a few green marks to the inside of the proper right wing.
"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."

An alert visitor to Florence who stands in the Piazza della Signoria and inspects the sculptures in the famous Loggia dei Lanzi, will be struck by an ambitious nineteenth-century marble group of the Rape of the Polyxena positioned between two seminal works from the Renaissance: Benvenuto Cellini's Perseus and Giambologna's Rape of the Sabines. Modelled by Pio Fedi in 1855, it captures the political spirit of the time. The group was interpreted as the personification of the Risorgimento and resistance to domination by foreign powers. When it was inaugurated in 1866 it quickly became the most talked of sculpture in Italy, thus propelling the previously little-known Fedi to fame and rendering him the leading Florentine sculptor of the 1860s.