Pysche revived by Cupid's Kiss

Details

PIETRO BAZZANTI (ITALIAN, 1825-1895), AFTER THE MODEL BY ANTONIO CANOVA
Pysche revived by Cupid's Kiss
Signed the base P. Bazzanti / Florence
marble
The group: 29 ½ in. (75 cm.) high; 35 in. (90 cm.) wide; 17 in. (43 cm.) deep
The pedestal: 44 in. (112 cm.) high; 38 in. (97 cm.) wide; 20 in. (51 cm.) deep

Special notice

Specified lots (sold and unsold) marked with a filled square not collected from Christie’s by 5.00 pm on the day of the sale will, at our option, be removed to Cadogan Tate. Christie’s will inform you if the lot has been sent offsite. Our removal and storage of the lot is subject to the terms and conditions of storage which can be found at Christies.com/storage. Please call Christie’s Client Service 24 hours in advance to book a collection time at Cadogan Tate Ltd. All collections will be by pre-booked appointment only. Tel: +44 (0)20 7839 9060 Email: cscollectionsuk@christies.com. If the lot remains at Christie’s it will be available for collection on any working day 9.00 am to 5.00 pm. Lots are not available for collection at weekends.

Brought to you by

Dido Penny

dpenny@christies.com +44 (0)20 7389 2794

Lot Essay

One of Canova's most popular marbles which combines antique inspiration with a decidedly modern and daring composition, the group represents a passage from Apuleius' The Golden Ass, in which Psyche faints after having opened Proserpine's vase and is revived by Cupid's kiss. Originally commissioned by Colonel John Campbell (later Lord Cawdor) and subsequently acquired by Prince Joachim Murat in 1801, this sculpture is today in the Musée du Louvre (M.R. 1777). In 1796 the Russian nobleman Prince Yusupov acquired a second version from Canova in Rome, and that example is today preserved in the Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg. The group was widely copied both by Adamo Tadolini in Canova's studio and later by other Roman and Tuscan sculptors. The present lot is an especially nicely preserved example by Pietro Bazzanti, which benefits from being displayed atop its original pedestal.

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