Giuseppe Croff

Overall the condition of the marbles is very good with dirt and wear to the surfaces consistent with age. There is veining to the marble consistent with the material, particularly in Leda's chest and proper right leg. Adonis' proper right little finger is reattached. There are a few small naturally occurring inclusions to the marbles, such as in Leda's chest and proper right arm, and Adonis' face. In each, a section of the back of the terrasse is carved separately; stable joints are slightly visible. In the Venus and Adonis, there is an original round marble insert in this section. There are minor chips and abrasions to the marble bases, particularly to the Leda. There are some dirt marks, such as to Venus' back on the proper left side. There is a wax to the surface of both marbles.
"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."

Giuseppe Croff was an important Milanese sculptor, who was heavily influenced by the Neoclassical style. He studied at the Accademia di Brera in Milan and from 1830 to 1833, principally under the guidance of Camillo Pacetti, and Pompeo Marchesi, whose classicism had a large impression on the young student. Croff's figures consequently demonstrate the ideal standards of Classical beauty. However, Croff was not confined by tradition and explored other styles in his marble compositions. His most celebrated work on public display is his magisterial The Veiled Nun in the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington DC. The bust, which depicts a nun with her face seemingly veiled by diaphanous drapes is one of the most popular objects in the collection; visitors are said to be mesmerized by the transparency of the veil. Carved in marble, The Veiled Nun is a fine example of a detailed rendering of texture and form, as the thin material gently reveals the contours of the nun’s face.

The present marbles comprise two of Croff's most beautiful sculptural groups. Significantly, they preserve their very finely carved and polished surfaces, witnessed particularly in the smooth flesh, and the intricately carved curls and ringlets of the figures' hair. The Leda and the Swan appears to be a version of the model with the same subject by Croff in the Museo Civico Bottacin, Padua (Panzetta, op. cit., p. 299, fig. 572). The Padua group is placed in reverse, with the nymph reclining to the left. Croff exhibited a sculpture of Leda and the Swan in Porto in 1861. It is possible that this may be the Padua marble, since here Leda has hair smoothly parted at the centre, a fashion from circa 1860. In contrast, in the present marble, Leda sports ringlets, which were fashionable in the 1840s and 1850s, indicating that the present marble is the earlier of the two versions. Both the Leda and the Swan and the Venus and Adonis are imbued with the principals of Neoclassicism, tempered by Romantic sensitivity and sweet facial expressions. Venus and Adonis appear to be partly inspired by Canova's compositions, most clearly the Venus and Mars (Royal Collection, London) and his Three Graces (Hermitage, St Petersburg; Victoria and Albert Museum, London/ National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh); note the arrangement of the figures in the former, and the entwined arms in the latter.

The sale of these fine marbles represents a rare opportunity to acquire two of Croff's most beautiful and complementary works, which function as an impressive pairing, on their sumptuous later porphyry-painted bases.

RELATED LITERATURE
A. Panzetta, Nuovo Dizionario degli scultori italiani dell’ottocento e del primo novecento, vol. I, Borgaro, 2003, pp. 233 and 299, fig. 572