FRANCESCO JERACE | Bust of Victa

Overall the condition of the marble is very good with minor dirt and wear to the surface consistent with age. There are one or two minor drilled holes (possibly original) including one to the reverse. There is natural veining to the marble consistent with the material. There are a few minor naturally occurring inclusions to the marble. A few minor abrasions to the socle. The socle has been glued to the bust, the socle is probably original.
"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 impressive, monumental bust demonstrates Jerace's considerable skill in capturing the defiant gaze of his subject. A political allegory, Victa represents the vanquished, but not yet tamed, Poland, divided between Austria, Russia and Prussia. Jerace combines the realism of his native Neapolitan school of sculpture with an idealism inspired by the Venus de Milo and Michelangelo's unfinished works, as is seen in the truncation of the bust. Victa is hailed as 'certamente il capolavoro di Jerace' ('undoubtedly Jerace's masterpiece', Corace, op. cit., p. 23). The sculptor exhibited the model together with two other works at the National Exhibition of Turin in 1880, to great critical acclaim. Aside from the present example, marble versions of Victa are held in the Palazzo della Provincia, Reggio Calabria, and the Museo Civico in Castel Nuovo, Naples.

Francesco Jerace was born into a distinguished family of artists, his brothers being the sculptor Vincenzo and the painter Gaetano Jerace. He worked in the studio of Francesco Morani and was a regular exhibitor in Milan, Naples and Paris, soon rising to become one of the most famous Italian sculptors of his generation. He is also well known for a number of distinguished monuments, including a statue of Vittorio Emmanuele II in the Palazzo Reale in Naples (1888) and a monument to the composer Donizetti in Bergamo (1897). 

RELATED LITERATURE
E. Corace (ed.), Francesco Jerace: scultore (1853-1937), Rome and Trieste, 2002, pp. 22-23 and 60-63