Alfred Gilbert

Overall the condition of the bronzes is good with minor dirt and wear to the surfaces consistent with age. The figure of Truth is detached from its base. There are some slightly visible dry circular marks to the proper right side of Piety. There are some small nicks and scratches and minor stable splitting to the ebonized wood bases.
"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."

Alfred Gilbert’s Truth, Charity and Piety were conceived as the figurative elements adorning a monument to the Rt. Hon. Lord Arthur Russell (1825-92), brother of the Duke of Bedford. The memorial was commissioned by Russell’s wife, Lady Arthur Russell in 1892 for the Bedford family chapel in the church of St Michael’s in Chenies, Buckinghamshire. On first visiting the chapel in 1893, Gilbert was confronted by an overcrowded spectacle and so devised an ingenious solution, an ornate candlestick, inspired by Renaissance models, which would symbolise strength (the column), wisdom (the candle) and rememberance (upkeep). The three figures of Truth, Charity and Piety, which were to be joined by a fourth, Courage, represented the Christian virtues which Lord Russell was said to have possessed. The memorial was unveiled on 4^th April 1900, eight years after Gilbert had first received the commission. On seeing the completed monument, Lady Russell wrote to Gilbert, ‘I cannot tell you how very beautiful I think the figures … so full of feeling and bold in execution – I have indeed waited long but I have my reward’ (Dormant, 1985, op. cit. p. 196). A closely comparable set of bronze casts of the Truth, Charity and Piety are in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford (inv. nos. 508, 509, 510). Casts have rarely been offered on the art market, the last set to appear in these rooms sold on 5 December 2012, lot 165, for £37,250.

RELATED LITERATURE
R. Dorment, Alfred Gilbert, New Haven and London, 1985, pp. 193-7; R. Dorment, Alfred Gilbert. Sculptor and Goldsmith, exh. cat. Royal Academy of Arts, London, 1986, pp. 177-80, no. 90-3; N. Penny, Catalogue of European Sculpture in the Ashmolean Museum. 1540 to the Present Day, Oxford, 1992, vol. iii, pp. 88-9, nos. 508, 509, 510; P. Skipwith, Sir Alfred Gilbert and The New Sculpture. British Sculpture 1850-1930, exh. cat. The Fine Art Society and Robert Bowman Gallery, London, p. 64