Lot Essay
Bertel Thorvaldsen (1770-1844) was widely considered the greatest neo-classical sculptor after Canova. Thorvaldsen's Venus was commissioned by the Russian Countess Irina Vorontsov as part of a series of gods and goddesses -- and it remains one of the icons of the period. This sculpture's popularity continued unabated throughout the 19th century. An original marble version of Venus with the Apple by Thorvaldsen is in the Louvre.