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A WHITE MARBLE CENTERPIECE OF CUPID SLEEPING IN A SHELL, BY VIKTOR VON BRODZKI (1825-1904), SECOND HALF 19TH CENTURY |
Estimate
5,000 - 8,000 USD
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Description
- height 47 in.; width 35 in.; depth 20 in.
- 119 cm; 89 cm; 51 cm
inscribed V BRODSKI on the shell next to the left foot
Provenance
Olga Nikolaievna (1822-1892), Grand Duchess of Russia and Queen of Württemberg; thence by descent
Christie's London, May 15, 1997, lot 324
Christie's London, May 15, 1997, lot 324
Condition
Two toes chipped on extending foot. Some chipping to edges of triangular plinth. Both at top corners and sides. General all over surface weathering due to outdoor installation.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.
Catalogue Note
Viktor Von Brodzki was one of the most important Polish sculptors of the second half of the 19th century. He trained at the St Petersburg Academy of Fine Arts, where he was received as an Academician in 1861, and quickly gained a reputation among the Russian aristocracy. The majority of his career was spent in Rome, however, and he was also a member of the Florence and Milan academies.
Cupid Sleeping in a Shell was one of Brodzki's most successful compositions, and one he repeated, sometimes with variations, on several occasions. Versions similar to the present lot are in the National Museum, Warsaw, the Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow, and Tsarskoe Selo Palace. The work was engraved in 1870 by Aleksander Regulski (1839-1844)[Fig.1]. Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaievna [Fig.2], daughter of Tsar Nicholas I of Russia, married Crown Prince and later King Karl Friedrich of Württemberg in 1846. It is likely this statue was a present from either her father or brother, Tsar Alexander I.
Cupid Sleeping in a Shell was one of Brodzki's most successful compositions, and one he repeated, sometimes with variations, on several occasions. Versions similar to the present lot are in the National Museum, Warsaw, the Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow, and Tsarskoe Selo Palace. The work was engraved in 1870 by Aleksander Regulski (1839-1844)[Fig.1]. Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaievna [Fig.2], daughter of Tsar Nicholas I of Russia, married Crown Prince and later King Karl Friedrich of Württemberg in 1846. It is likely this statue was a present from either her father or brother, Tsar Alexander I.