BY PROFESSORE FORTUNATO GALLI, FLORENCE, DATED 1897

Widely known for his figure of Georges Bizet's Carmen, Professore Fortunato Galli (d. 1918) spent most of his life working in Florence, where much of his output was dedicated to religious commissions, including his principal work, the statue of Pope Gregory VII for the Duomo in Florence. Like many of his Roman and Florentine contemporaries, Galli's virtuosity in marble and subject matter afforded him with a lucrative commercial business and many of his secular works were retailed through Piètro Barzanti's galleria. The present figure of Venus, shown emerging from a scallop shell, recalls depictions by Botticelli and other masters who championed the popular theme and sustained an enduring image copied throughout the 19th century.

A similar figure of a sea nymph by Galli sold Christie's, New York, 18-19 April 2012, lot 488 ($122,500).