An Italian white marble figure of Suzanna, on pedestal

Born in Rezzato, Brescia, where he attended the School of Design, Giovanni Battista Lombardi (d. 1880) studied under Lorenzo Vela in Milan and subsequently moved to Rome to work with Pietró Tenerani on funerary monuments, busts and reliefs of religious and classical inspiration. Establishing his own studio, Lombardi progressed to more genre and intimate subjects and was particularly keen on the portrayal of Old Testament heroines. As well as the present work, Suzanna, signed and dated 1872, other titles included Deborah, Rebecca and Ruth. A life-size version of the latter, dated 1864, was sold in these rooms, 14 May 1998, lot 168.