Lot Essay
Born in Florence, Cesare Fantacchiotti (d.1922) was the son and pupil of the celebrated sculptor, Odoardo Fantacchiotti (d.1877). Cesare was a prolific and highly successful sculptor, working in most mediums and covering a wide range of subjects including portraiture, classical figures, allegorical groups and historic personalities. His work can be seen on the façade of the Cathedral in Florence and among his other public commissions was a fountain for the city of Kansas in America. Fantacchiotti's work was exhibited in Florence, Venice, Turin, Berlin and Munich, as well as at the Royal Academy in London.
The present charming group may be that which was entitled The Goatherd, one of Fantacchiotti's pastoral groups, representative of the Arcadian Golden Age. A fine quality cast, here Fantacchiotti's naturalistic style and fresh approach to modelling is exemplified in the contrasting textures of the coarse cotton of the young girl's apron and dress, her soft skin and the long hair of the goat. The double meaning of the work is clear: On the one hand the sculptor has executed a charming portrait of a young girl teasing an animal, whilst on the other, he has represented the temptation of Lust, as the goat, an attribute of Lust personified, reaches up to towards the forbidden foliage held above the girl's head.
The present charming group may be that which was entitled The Goatherd, one of Fantacchiotti's pastoral groups, representative of the Arcadian Golden Age. A fine quality cast, here Fantacchiotti's naturalistic style and fresh approach to modelling is exemplified in the contrasting textures of the coarse cotton of the young girl's apron and dress, her soft skin and the long hair of the goat. The double meaning of the work is clear: On the one hand the sculptor has executed a charming portrait of a young girl teasing an animal, whilst on the other, he has represented the temptation of Lust, as the goat, an attribute of Lust personified, reaches up to towards the forbidden foliage held above the girl's head.