A 19th century Italian carved white marble figure of the crouching Venus After the antique

A 19th century Italian carved white marble figure of the crouching Venus After the antique The classical female nude with bandeau tied coiffure dressed in an Apollos knot, seated on an upturned urn on canted naturalistic base, one finger detached but present, 88.5cm high, 36cm wide, 49cm deep Footnotes: The Crouching Venus is a Hellenistic model of Venus surprised at her bath and is found in a number of variations, perhaps the most famous one being the example first fully recorded at the Villa Medici in 1704 which can be traced back through references in more rudimentary inventories of the sculpture collection to at least 1670 and even as far back as 1598. Early commentators considered the subject to be the Birth of Venus but later the goddess was generally thought to be bathing. This figure was taken to Florence in 1787 and was placed in the Uffizi where it remains today, known as the Uffizi Venus. Originally thought to be a copy of a statue by Diodalses and referred to by Pliny, more recent scholars relate it to Pergamene sculptures, such as the Arrotino. In the majority of known versions of the subject of Venus, the goddess crouches with her right knee close to the ground, turns her head to the right and reaches her right arm over to her left shoulder to cover her breasts. However the number of copies that have been excavated on Roman sites throughout Italy and France since the Renaissance period suggest that she was a very popular subject in the ancient world hence why variants appear frequently. In addition, the antique examples of the Crouching Venus in prominent art collections subsequently influenced later sculptors including famously, Giambologna and these figures were also drawn by contemporary artists such as Martin Heemskerck, who made a drawing of the Farnese Crouching Venus which is now in Naples. Related Literature F. Haskell and N. Penny, Taste and the Antique: The Lure of Classical Sculpture 1500-1900, New Haven and Yale, 1981, p. 321-23. This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: TP TP For auctions held in Scotland: Lots will be moved to an offsite storage location (Constantine, Constantine House, North Caldeen Road, Coatbridge ML5 4EF, Scotland, UK) and will only be available for collection from this location at the date stated in the catalogue. Please refer to the catalogue for further information. For all other auctions: Lots will be moved to an offsite storage location (Cadogan Tate, Auction House Services, 241 Acton Lane, London NW10 7NP, UK) and will only be available for collection from this location at the date stated in the catalogue. Please note transfer and storage charges will apply to any lots not collected after 14 calendar days from the auction date. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing