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97 - Antonio ROSSETTI (1819–1883) and workshop.
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Estimate €8,000 - €12,000
Sale commission
Description
Antonio ROSSETTI (1819–1883) and workshop. The Abandoned Psyche. Carrara marble statue, signed, dated and inscribed ‘A. Rossetti, Roma 1878’. Surface condition due to prolonged outdoor exposure; a protective coating (whitewash? / varnish?) applied at a later date. Height: 120 cm On a grey marble plinth: Height: 75 cm Model created around 1878. Provenance: presented to the current owners’ grandfather by his company upon his retirement in the 1950s. Related literature: - University of Glasgow History of Art, Mapping the Practice and Profession of Sculpture in Britain and Ireland 1851–1951, online database 2011: ‘Antonio Rossetti’. Note: Antonio Rossetti first studied in Milan under Francesco Somaini, then in Rome, where he settled in 1843. His presence there is documented until 1889, when he took part in the competition for the monument at Ciceruacchio. He is best known worldwide for his large figurative works of Neoclassical or Romantic inspiration, such as *The Nubian Slave* or *Esmeralda*, and for his charming genre pieces. His marble statue *Ophelia*, presented at the Paris Universal Exhibition in 1867, was the subject of glowing reviews describing it as ‘an excellent example of modern Italian sculpture, imbued with great tenderness and touching pathos; the drapery is sketched with a playful touch; all in all, the execution is exquisite’ (The Art Journal, 1867, p. 174). An early version of *An Abandoned Psyche*, dated, like our work, to 1878, was exhibited in Rome in 1879, but an engraving by Antonio Bonamore (1845–1907) and published in 1876 in the magazine *L’Illustrazione Italiana* presents an early depiction of the subject paired with a statue representing an Angry Cupid, themes drawn from the myth of Psyche and Cupid in Apuleius’s *Metamorphoses*. The work appears to have enjoyed considerable success, with several copies produced by the artist’s large workshop and subsequently replicated by later generations (see Cesare Lapini). Appraisal carried out by SCULPTURE et COLLECTION, Ms Élodie JEANNEST DE GYVÈS and Mr Alexandre LACROIX – 01 83 97 02 05
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About the sale Paintings, works of art & fine furnishings
Auction location
Auction time 10/04/2026 at 11:00 AM
Lot description modified on 09/22/2026 at 1:00 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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