Italian, 19th century After the Antique

Overall the condition of the marble is good, with minor dirt and wear to the surface consistent with age. Four fingers of each hand have been reattached, with some being possibly restored; this is well concealed to the naked eye. There appears to be a light wax to the surface. There is some veining to the marble, consistent with the material, in particular at Venus' back. There are a few small naturally occurring inclusions, including to the urn and the proper right thigh. There are a few minor chips, including to one of the beads adorning the base, and to the bottom edge. The green marble column is composed of sections, which may be assembled. There are various chips, and there is a small area with fill to the shaft of the column.
"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."

A nineteenth century English tourist in Florence wrote that of all the Venuses in the Uffizi, ‘a pretty little crouching Venus alone caught my fancy’. Considered to represent either the Goddess after birth or emerging from her bath, the Crouching Venus was a type highly esteemed by Grand Tourists, whose demand for high quality copies produced a number of variations on the theme.

The most famous copy was executed by Coysevox in 1686 for Versailles, but the Crouching Venus has been reproduced repeatedly in an array of mediums; Paul Cézanne, for example, frequently drew the Louvre’s Aphrodite Accroupie (inv. no. Ma2240), and adapted it for his version of Les Grandes Baigneuses. The present marble, with twisted torso and one arm reaching over her head appears to follow most closely a Roman copy in the Louvre (inv. no. MA 53).

RELATED LITERATURE
F. Haskell and N. Penny, Taste and the Antique: The Lure of Classical Sculpture, 1500-1900, New Haven and London, 1981, pp. 321-323, no 86