Giovanni Battista Trabucco

Overall the condition of the marble is good, with some dirt and wear to the surface consistent with age. The surface of the marble has been extensively cleaned. In some areas the surface has a waxy sheen, for example at the back of the proper left leg. The hands are restored. There are naturally occurring inclusions to the marble, many of which have been concealed with the use of painted restoration. Such areas can be observed at the pubis, the proper left buttock, and both thighs. There are some more notable natural inclusions, including at the proper left arm. There are a few small possible chips and losses in the hair, including to a strand by the proper right armpit. There are some further small chips and losses in the flowers and leaves. There is light veining to the marble, consistent with the material, including to the proper left shin. There are a few small restorations to the integral base, including below the proper right foot. The separately carved marble base is associated; it has a few small chips.
"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."

This exuberant marble epitomises the artifice of North Italian Romantic sculpture and is the most important work by Giovanni Battista Trabucco to have appeared at auction. Representing a female nude with outstretched arms leaning forward and exhibiting her flowing tresses, the composition is reminiscent of Ambrogio Borghi's masterpiece, Chioma di Berenice, which achieved a record price of £553,250 when sold in these rooms on 17 May 2011. 

Trabucco's Nymph showcases the sculptor's technical accomplishment in a supremely dazzling composition. As if awakening from slumber, the girl emerges from a luxuriant bed of roses, rising upwards, with her arms above her head in a balletic pose, and her fingers loosely interlocking. Her head leaning languidly against her right arm, the girl's abundant locks of hair flow gently from her shoulder while cascading down her back in lively, impressionistic waves. Her eyes concealed by heavy lids, and her lips animated by a gentle smile, the Nymph appears in an otherworldly, dreamlike state, underscoring the ethereal nature of the composition. The virtuosic execution of the sculpture similarly defies belief: not only is the figure's positioning a feat of sculptural engineering, the effervescent hair and astonishingly naturalistic foliage display a rare level of excellence in marble carving. 

The date of execution of the present marble, 1878, coincides with the exhibition of Ambrogio Borghi's Chioma di Berenice at the Exposition Universelle in Paris. Active in the same milieu as Borghi, Trabucco would likely have been familiar with Borghi's ambitious composition and, with the present Nymph, may have attempted to emulate this ground-breaking work. It is possible that Trabucco was commissioned to carve his spectacular nude for a patron who had seen the Berenice and demanded a marble that could rival Borghi's. Replacing the incense burner of the Berenice with his beautifully carved foliage and roses, Trabucco transformed the composition into an altogether more romantic and graceful image. As well as being a possible adaptation of Borghi's marble, the Nymph also recalls Metello Motelli's Iris of 1873, which sold in these rooms on 14 December 2016 (£428,750). Likewise representing a female nude emerging from foliage with outstretched arms, Motelli’s marble is symptomatic of the technical ambition and fanciful imagination of North Italian sculptors active in the 1860s and 1870s.

Unlike Borghi and Motelli, who were firmly rooted in Milan, Trabucco's main activity appears to have taken place in Turin, the sculptor’s town of birth. It was at Turin’s Accademia Albertina that Trabucco received his training, as a pupil of the distinguished sculptor Vincenzo Vela (1820-1891). A versatile artist, Trabucco made a name for himself with commemorative monuments, including one dedicated to Garibaldi in Nizza Monferrato, as well as a variety of figurative sculpture in marble, plaster, and terracotta. He exhibited frequently at the Promotrice di Belle Arti in his hometown, with almost annual recorded entries between 1865 and 1877. His subjects ranged as far as ethnographic sculpture, which is attested to by the exhibition of a bust entitled Tipo arabo in Bologna in 1888; an archive engraving of this impressive work is illustrated in Panzetta (op. cit., fig. 1860). His marble portrait bust of Manlio Garibaldi (1880) is preserved in the Museo Garibaldino di Caprera. Trabucco's surviving works appear to be exceedingly rare, making this arresting marble an exciting rediscovery, and a long-lost testament to the sculptor's extraordinary skill.

RELATED LITERATURE
A. Panzetta, Nuovo Dizionario degli Scultori Italiani dell'Ottocento e del Primo Novecento, Turin, 2003, vol. 2, p. 909