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768
Salvatore Florenti Albano (Italian, 1841-1893), "L'Amore E Psiche (Cupid and Psyche)," 1887,
carved Carrara marble, signed, dated and titled on front self-base, together with a stepped wood plinth base,
H.- 69 1/2 in., W.- 22 in., D.- 32 in., base: H.- 30 1/2 in., W.- 28 1/4 in., D.- 30 1/4 in.
- Provenance: Private collection, New Orleans.
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Exhibited: Paris, Salon de 1887, no. 3572; London, Royal Academy of Arts,1888, no. 2068.
Note: Salvatore Albano, an Italian native of Calabria, was a prolific Neoclassical sculptor of his time with numerous patrons in Italy, London and New York, including European Marquises, the Tate Family of London (and Founders of the Tate Museum) as well as New York literati, such as Gordon Bennett- editor of the New York Herald. "Amore e Psiche", offered here, exemplifies his bravura, - a stunning mature work executed in the last years of his life at the height of his illustrious career.
Albano trained in Naples with Giuseppe Sorbilli before entering the Accademia di Belle Arti in Florence, where he studied under Tito Angelini and Giovanni Dupe. Albano first received recognition in 1865 at the Academy with a marble work of "Christ in the Garden." Following his success, the Marquis Agustino Sergio purchased "Count Ugolino," for his palace and Prince Umberto of Savoy commissioned a marble of "Moses destroying the Tables of the Law" (now in the Museo di Capodimonte). Shortly afterward, at the Paris Salon of 1868, he was awarded a gold medal for his work "Vanni Fucci," based after Dante's Inferno- this work is now in the permanent collection of The Metropolitan Museum. In 1872, Baron Talleyrand commissioned "The Genius of Michaelangelo." So successful was the marble composition, it was reproduced for the Oppenheim (British Museum), and then ten more successive times. The Tate family of London avidly collected and commissioned several sculptures by Albano, including a copy of "The Genius of Remembrance," owned by the New York Herald editor Gordon Bennett. Commissions for several renditions of the same composition, as well as copies were in high demand throughout the late 1870s and 1880s, many of which were purchased/commissioned directly following annual exhibitions, particularly the Royal Academy in London.
In 1881, the composition (Amore e Psiche/Cupid and Psyche) was first executed and exhibited as a gesso model in the National Exposition of Beautiful Arts in Milan. From this work, the 1881 life- sized marble figural group was sculpted. This work sold at Christie's, New York, Oct. 19-2011, as lot 69, and by repute was in the Collection of the Waldorf-Astoria, before it found its way into the Collection of billionaire Joan B. Kroc. However, it is not the same work (as stated in the Christie's provenance) that sold at Sotheby's, New York, on May 23, 1990. Lot 68 from that sale is 24 inches shorter. It also did not likely sell in the 1929 Wise Auction sale: The Entire Furnishings and Equipment of the Waldorf-Astoria, as lot 12649, because neither the lot nor the sale attribute any work to Albano, and the figural group does not appear to include Cupid. What is known by exposition histories and literature is that another life-sized figural marble group, titled "Amore e Psiche," matching the same dimension, was exhibited at the Paris Salon of 1887 and at the 1888 Royal Academy of Arts. Reviews of the work published in the "Anathenaeum," "Jornal des Arts" and "Etoile Artistique" state that the work is life-size, signed, titled and dated, and that the depiction of Psyche is a little too modest and chaste for Parisian taste. French critique of Psyche coincides with the subtle variations between the 1881 and 1887 works. The one offered here, presumably exhibited at the Salon and Royal Academy, has a thin gauze-like fabric added to the lower belly and genital area, Psyche's head is also slightly bent more demurely downward. The clothing addition certainly showcased Albano's virtuoso in handling delicate fabric in stone, and it would have appealed to a more Anglican taste, particularly since Albano exhibited regularly at the Royal Academy and only sporadically at the Salon, skipping nine years before "Amore e Psiche" was shown in 1887. Furthermore, his clientele in the 1880s was mostly British and American. Support for this argument comes from one of the most comprehensive biographies on the artist that chronicles the location and commissions of his oeuvre- Dizionario degli Artisti Italiani Viventi- Pitturi, Sculturi e Architetti, by Angelo de Gubernatis, published in 1889. In addition to the works and patrons previously mentioned, Gubernatis writes that "Amore e Psiche" was executed by the artist four times (due volte per Nuova York e per Londra)- two went to New York and another two to London. Presumably, this includes the two known 1881 works, and the 1887 marble offered here. -
Condition: In overall very good condition with no notable soiling to surface or significant repairs or losses. Two of the fingers on Psyche's left hand have been repaired, and two of the toes on Cupid's left foot have been repaired. There is a shallow chip/loss to Psyche's right eyebrow, There is ~ 3 accretion (paint drip-sloppy house painter?) to Cupid's left flank and a black spot/accretion above AMORE on the base. Both figures exhibit some innate pitting scattered throughout. There is a ~ 1 inch loss to the bottom side of the rockwork base that is very difficult to see, and a chip to the right front base (bottom edge). Base edge and edges of sculpture with a few additional nicks and scuffs. Some light surface soiling is present- mostly to hair and fine drapery grooves. Minor condition issues are as to be expected with age, material and use. Please see additional photographs. No additional significant condition issues to report under blacklight.
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Condition is not stated in the description of the item. The absence of a condition report does not mean that the item is free of damage or condition issues. Some items do show signs of age or wear. CCAG strongly suggests that you do not bid without requesting a condition report. Requests for condition reports will not be honored after 5 p.m. CST on the Tuesday prior to the auction.
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November 9, 2024 10:00 AM CST
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