William Wetmore Story

Robert Garrett, Baltimore, United States, from circa 1868 (possibly);
private collection, Spain

Overall the condition of the marble is very good with minor dirt and wear to the surface consistent with age. The marble retains its original beautifully finished surface. However there are a few restored breaks: at the infant faun's proper right arm and running through the bamboo stick held in his hand; to the faunesse's right pipe a third of the way down and to the tip of the pipe; and to the faunesse's proper right little finger which is reattached in two places. There are some splashes of white paint, including to the panpipes at the base, and some gold paint marks around the base. The sculpture would benefit from a light cleaning by a professional conservator, who could also tone in the old breaks. There are a few minor abrasions, including to the edges of the panpipes. There are small chips and abrasions to the edges of the base. There are remnants of old labels at the faunesse's back and to the base. There is minor veining to the marble consistent with the material and a few small naturally occurring inclusions. The end of the infant faun's bamboo stick is probably not broken, but appears as intended.
"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."

Born in Salem, Massachusetts, William Wetmore Story was the son of Joseph Story, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. He was of a man of immense versatility: as a lawyer, in which he graduated in 1840, as an author of poetry, prose and drama, and as a critic of art in all its forms. His first major commission was for a statue of his father for the cities of Boston and Cambridge, which led him to Europe in search of inspiration, particularly in Rome, where he moved permanently in 1856. Story is known for his idealised, but emotive, Neoclassical representations of illustrious historical or literary figures which are pregnant with internal emotion or tension, and are seemingly on the verge of action. His most significant works are Sappho (1863) in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; Delilah (1886) and Saul (1881) in the M.H. De Young Memorial Museum, San Francisco; Media (1868) and Cleopatra (1888) in the Metropolitan Museum, New York; and Alcestis (1874) in the Wadsworth Atheneum. Ramirez has pointed out that Story ‘preferred to depict personalities whose passions were on the brink of eruption: the notorious, the wronged, and the martyred. He was particularly attracted to melancholy, brooding females as sculptural subjects’.

This beautiful marble Faunesse and Child appears to be the model listed by Mary Phillips in her 1897 Reminiscences of William Wetmore Story under 'Statues Modeled by W.W. Story', recorded as '1867-68 - Fauness and Child - Robert Garrett, Baltimore'. It is possible that the present marble is that which was owned by Robert Garrett, though it is possible that Story could have carved more than one version. The model is also mentioned by Gerdts (op. cit., p. 23), who notes that genre subjects are rare within Story's oeuvre, and groups the present marble, in terms of subject category, with the Infant Bacchus on a Panther in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (inv. no. RES.56.65a). The present group is technically very sophisticated, with its interlinked figures and pan-pipes, and recalls antique sculptural prototypes.

RELATED LITERATURE
W. H. Gerdts, 'William Wetmore Story', The American Art Journal, vol. 4, no. 2, Nov. 1972, pp. 16-33