AFTER ANTONIO CANOVA, BY RAFFAELLO BATTELLI, CIRCA 1880

This marble copy of Antonio Canova's magnum opus The Three Graces depicts the nymphs Aglaia, Euphrosyne and Thalia - often referred to in art as the handmaidens of Venus or described as the three phases of love: Beauty, arousing Desire, leading to Fulfillment. The original was commissioned by Empress Josephine in 1812, and in 1815, John Russell, the 6th Duke of Bedford, commissioned a second version of the group from Canova, which is now conserved jointly in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, and the National Galleries of Scotland, Edinburgh. An exceptionally-carved mid-19th century example of The Three Graces sold Christie's, London, 14 March 2013, lot 200 (£505,875).