After a model by Giambologna (1529-1608) Netherlandish, 17th/ 18th century

62cm., 24 3/8 in.

Overall the condition of the bronze is good with some dirt and wear to the surface consistent with age. There is rubbing to the lacquer patina at several high points, exposing the bronze underneath, including: the hair, the woman's face, the finger tips, the toes, the woman's nipples and the edges of the rock work on the base. The bronze is cast in sections; a few original, stable joints are slightly visible, including at the woman's proper left arm and the crouching man's proper left arm. There are several small lacunae and minor stable fissures consistent with the casting process, and notably fissures to the standing man's proper right foot. There are a few minor nicks and scratches, including to the standing man's proper left leg and proper right arm, the crouching man's back, and to the crouching man's proper left breast. There is an opening to the underside of the standing man's proper left thigh, from which some powdery core material may escape.
"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."

This bronze is a reduction of Giambologna's celebrated three-figure group of the Rape of a Sabine, executed in marble in the early 1580s and unveiled on 14 January 1583 in the Loggia dei Lanzi, Florence. The group was extremely well received and was the subject of one of the earliest publications on a single work of art. Drawings and engravings of the composition circulated freely and stimulated the production of bronze reductions throughout western Europe. 

The dark patina worn in parts to reveal the light bronze beneath, as well as the thick-walled cast, indicate a Northern, probably Netherlandish workshop. Similar versions of this model have been associated with a cast in the Herzog Anton Ulrich-Museum, Brunswick, which is attributed to the workshop of Caspar von Turkelsteyn. Born in 1579, Turkelsteyn is recorded until 1648 as casting bronzes for the court of Archduke Albrecht of Brunswick in Brussels. The present cast, however, differs in facture from that in Brunswick and is arguably of higher quality. The sharply modelled hair and facial features suggest a possibly later origin. A version which is closely comparable in its positioning of the figures and details such as the woman's hairstyle, formerly in the Paul Wallraf Collection, sold in these rooms on 6 July 2007 as lot 70.

RELATED LITERATURE
A. Radcliffe and C. Avery, Giambologna, 1529-1608. Sculptor to the Medici, exh. cat. Arts Council of Great Britain, London, 1978, nos 58 and 59; U. Berger and V. Krahn, Bronzen der Renaissance und des Barock, Herzog-Anton Ulrich Museum, Braunschweig, 1994, pp. 96-99, cat. no. 60