AMBROGIO BORGHI | Chioma di Berenice (Berenice's Tresses)

Overall the condition of the plaster is good, with minor dirt and wear to the surface consistent with age. The plaster has been painted so as to resemble bronze. There are areas of wear to the later painted surface, including some abrasions at the proper left side of the abdomen. There are some further small scratches and abrasions, including to the proper right leg. There are some circular patches to the proper right arm, possibly where the statue has pressed against bubble wrap. The statue is complete, but there could be restorations or reattachments, which are not visible to the naked eye, beneath the paint. The painted surface is variated in areas: for example, the surface is shinier at the woman’s back. In some areas the reddish brown is coming through the paint, such as at the proper right forearm. The arms appear to have been cast separately from the body, and original joints are very slightly visible underneath the paint at the shoulders. There are a few small chips to the plaster around the base. The wood base is modern.
"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."

Ambrogio Borghi's Chioma di Berenice is one of the iconic masterpieces of Italian ottocento sculpture. When the marble was sold for £553,250 at Sotheby's in 2011 it achieved a record for a 19th-century female nude at auction. A period bronze cast of the model was sold in these rooms on 12 July 2017 for £248,750. The present plaster may have have been cast at the same time as the bronze and is a testament to the success of Borghi's model. Another plaster version, though without the bronzed patination, was sold in these rooms on 4 December 2013 for £74,500. Exhibited at the Exposition Universelle in Paris in 1878, Pesquidoux prophesied that Berenice was the proof of a talent which would place Borghi amongst the most original and modern; and Blanc simply called it 'a prodigy.' The sculpture has an almost startling verisimilitude, as the supple surface of the skin and the carefully observed anatomy are thrown into movement, leaving the extraordinary curled tresses of hair to flutter behind. As Maria Grazia Schinetti has written, Borghi's artistic language was one of 'sentiment' and 'sensation'. The subject of this narrative was particularly well-suited to the sculptor. Queen Berenice II of Egypt was the wife of Ptolemy III Euergetes, and the present sculpture illustrates a legend told of her famously beautiful hair. Fearing for her husband's life whilst he was on a military expedition in Syria, Berenice offered her hair to the gods for his safe return. When the locks mysteriously disappeared from the temple, the court astronomer explained the loss by saying that they had been wafted to the heavens and transformed into the constellation of Berenice. Borghi depicts the queen in the temple, an incense burner at her feet, in the intense anxiety of the moments before she sacrifices her hair. 

Ambrogio Borghi was a pupil at the Accademia di Brera from 1861 to 1869. In 1871 he won the coveted Oggioni prize – a scholarship to study for three years in Rome. At the young age of 32, Borghi was given the chair of modelling at his alma mater and his pupils included Medardo Rosso. He was awarded a number of prestigious public commissions and won the competition to create the monument to Garibaldi in Milan, but died before he was able to complete it. He was only 38. In his own lifetime he was best-known for his public monuments and his skill at modelling in clay, for which he was awarded the teaching position at the Accademia di Brera. A lively clay bozzetto for Berenice exists in a private collection in Monza. The appearance on the market of the present Berenice therefore offers the opportunity to acquire a rare plaster version of the artist's masterpiece. 

RELATED LITERATURE
M. Schinetti, 'Un maestro poco conoscuito: Ambrogio Borghi altri meastri di fine '800', in G. Accame et al. ed., Due secoli di scultura, Milan, 1995, pp. 90-99; M. Schinetti, 'Ambrogio Borghi. Un contributo per la storia della scultura a Milano nel secondo Ottocento', in Arte lombarda, 1995, 2-4, pp. 140-146; M. Gardonio, Sculturi italiani alle Esposizioni Universali di Parigi 1855-1889, thesis, Università degli Studi di Trieste, 2008; V. Alfredo, Sacro e Profano, exh. cat., Monza, Serrone della Villa Reale, 2010