A ROMAN MARBLE FIGURE OF DIONYSOS, CIRCA 2ND CENTURY A.D., WITH 18TH/19TH CENTURY ITALIAN RESTORATIONS |

standing with the weight on his right leg against a tree-trunk support decorated with vine leaves and clusters of grapes, and wearing sandals, his hair falling in long strands over the shoulders; head and neck, remaining part of left arm incl. parts of left shoulder and shoulder-blade, front half of left foot, and plinth restored in marble.

Benedetti Collection, Rome, circa 1900 (probably the archaeologists and art dealers Anibale and Fausto Benedetti)
acquired in the late 1980s by Pierre Bergé and Yves Saint-Laurent together with their house on the rue Bonaparte, where it already adorned the garden

PUBLISHED:
Salomon Reinach, Répertoire de la statuaire grecque et romaine, vol. 3, Paris, 1904, p. 31, no. 1 ("Coll. Benedetti à Rome. Phot. comm. par G. Paille. Bras g. et tête mod.“).

There is a possibility that the head could be original, broken and repaired rather than restored as stated in catalogue. Legs broken across both ankles and below knees. Break between proper right leg and support. Restored in marble: base, proper left foot, patch on back of proper right leg, proper left shoulder and left shoulder-blade area, nose, and small area across hair and fillet/diadem on proper right side of forehead Formerly restored in marble: proper right testicle, penis, proper right forearm, hand and jug, proper left arm with thyrsos, part of locks of hair falling over proper right side of neck, and an irregularly-shaped area on top of head. These restored parts, most of which are clearly visible on the old drawing published in the catalogue, are now missing. Surface weathered and dirty overall, the statue having been exposed to the elements and to pollution over several decades.
"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."

Both size and composition indicate that the present Roman statue is based on an original Greek statuary type called the "Dresden Boy" (the eponymous Roman copy of this type is in Dresden: K. Knoll et al., eds., Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden. Katalog der antiken Bildwerke, vol. 2, 2011, pp. 704ff., no. 164, and https://skd-online-collection.skd.museum/Details/Index/166064). The bronze original was a statue of a young athlete from the late 5th Century B.C., likely one of Polykleitos' latest works. Another example of a statue of Dionysos based on the same type is at Holkham Hall: E. Angelicoussis, The Holkham Collection of Classical Sculpture, 2001, p. 99f., no. 12, pl. 24 (with erroneous typology), and http://arachne.uni-koeln.de/item/objekt/7440.