BY GIOVANNI LOMBARDI, ROME, DATED 1870

A student of the Accademia in Rome under the direction of Piètro Tenerani, a pupil of Thorvaldsen, Lombardi had a celebrated career producing large religious and allegorical subjects. Susanna and Ruth are among the artist's most recognizable works and his studio produced the figures on a number of occasions. A single figure of Ruth was sold at Sotheby's New York, 18 April 2008, lot 243 ($133,000).