Luigi Bienaimé

Purchased from the artist by Conrad Hinrich Donner (d.1854);
by descent to his grandson Conrad Hinrich III von Donner (d.1911);
by descent to his daughter-in-law Agnes Baroness von Donner;
by descent to her granddaughter Angelika von Donner (1960-1992); 
Sotheby's London, 9 July 2004, lot 111

Overall the condition of the marble is good with minor dirt and wear consistent with age. The ends of the wings are lost. There are some small chips, in particular to the ends of the folds of drapery, particularly at the front, and to around the edges of the base. There is a chip to the drapery below the proper left elbow. There are minor abrasions including to the proper right shin and proper right elbow and to the throat. There are dirt residues including to the proper right shin and around the edges of the terrasse. There is veining to the marble consistent with the material, in particular at the proper right shoulder. There are minor paint residues to either side of the base by the ears and hair and in the crevices of the eyes. The wings are carved separately and stable original joints are slightly visible.
"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."

Luigi Bienaimé, who had won a scholarship from the Accademia di Belle Arti di Carrara, became Thorvaldsen’s chief assistant and from 1819 managed his studio with Tenerani and Freund. He was a sculptor of international repute whose studio at Piazza Barberini 5 was visited by Czar Nicholas I in 1845. The Hermitage has at least five of his works and many others were commissioned by German patrons such as the King of Württemburg, Prince Oldenburg and Graf Dietrichstein.

Conrad Hinrich Donner was a financier, statesman and art collector who founded the Hamburg-based Donner Bank in 1798. He founded the Museumspavillon Donner - destroyed in 1942 - where the present piece accompanied Thorvaldsen's masterpiece The Three Graces. It is interesting to note that Bienaimé was the only Italian sculptor from whom Donner made purchases, the others being the Dane, Hermann Wilhelm Bissen, and the German, Adolph Moritz Jahn.

The present figure is one of just two marble versions of L’Amor Divino known to exist. The other is in the cappella della S. Sindone in Turin Cathedral, while the plaster model is in the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek (inv.no. I.N.621). The angel depicted in L'Amor Divino, also known as Angelo dalle braccia incrociate sul petto, is a reworking of the figure of the young child in Bienaimé's large 155cm group of Angelo Custode e fanciullo of 1831. The plaster L'Amor Divino in the Carlsberg Glyptotek is dated 1832 and the present work 1833, thus providing a clear sequence for its development and refinement.

RELATED LITERATURE
J.B. Hartmann, 'La Triade Italiana del Thorvaldsen, Alcune Considerazioni su Temi Mitologici e Cristiani', Antalogia di Belle Arti, 1984, nos. 23-24, pp. 106-107; A. Panzetta, Nuovo Dizionario degli Scultori Italiani dell'Ottocento e del Primo Novecento, Turin, 2003, vol. I, p. 91