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Lot Essay
The present lot is characteristic of the types of works for which Carlo Albacini found fame and popularity at the turn of the nineteenth century among patrons looking for modern, ‘perfected’ versions of antiquities. Its composition is drawn from a Roman sculpture from 1st-2nd century AD, today housed in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (accession no. 68.770). By the 18th century only a fragment of the original ancient sculpture remained and it was heavily restored, as was fashionable at the time, before being acquired for the Smith Barry Collection, at Marbury Hall in Cheshire. Albacini is known to have carved a version of the restored antiquity intended for the Duke of Gloucester but in a dramatic turn of events the version never made it to English shores. Albacini’s marble was on board the British merchant ship the Westmorland when it was captured by French navy vessels in 1779 and taken to Malaga. Bacchus and Ariadne, like many of the works in the 50 crates of Grand Tour souvenirs on board, was bought by King Carlos III and is now part of the collection of the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando, Madrid, inv. no. E-075 (Sánchez-Jáuregui and S. Wilcox, loc.cit.).
The present lot and the Madrid version share stylistic similarities particularly in the way that the artist has chosen to depart from the restored ancient model. Notable examples of this include the depiction of the goat skin over Ariadne’s proper right shoulder, the figuration of the drapery fastened over her left knee and the addition of sandals on her feet. A third late 18th century version of Bacchus and Ariadne by Francesco Carradori also shares some of these departures from the antique composition. Carradori’s received payment for this work in 1777 and it is today at the Palazzo Pitti, Florence (Marconi, loc. cit.). Comparing the Madrid and Palazzo Pitti sculptures to the present lot, the former is stylistically closer, particularly when examining the smoothness of the carving of the cloth around Ariadne’s torso and the way in which it falls over her left arm.
Working in Rome in the latter half of the eighteenth century, Carlo Albacini gained international acclaim as both a restorer of Greco-Roman antiquities and as a sculptor in his own right. A pupil of Bartolomeo Cavaceppi, Albacini’s knowledge of ancient sculpture greatly influenced his artistic practice and a great many of his works were variations on pre-existing classical models. These types of objects were highly sought-after among patrons who came to Rome as part of the Grand Tour, particularly members of the English nobility with whom he found favour. In addition to Henry Blundell, Albacini’s clients included the art dealer Thomas Jenkins and the collector and antiquarian Charles Townley, whose antiquities collection is now housed in the British Museum. He was also a favourite of royal patrons including Catherine the Great and the King of Naples who commissioned Albacini to restore the Farnese marbles in 1786.
The present lot and the Madrid version share stylistic similarities particularly in the way that the artist has chosen to depart from the restored ancient model. Notable examples of this include the depiction of the goat skin over Ariadne’s proper right shoulder, the figuration of the drapery fastened over her left knee and the addition of sandals on her feet. A third late 18th century version of Bacchus and Ariadne by Francesco Carradori also shares some of these departures from the antique composition. Carradori’s received payment for this work in 1777 and it is today at the Palazzo Pitti, Florence (Marconi, loc. cit.). Comparing the Madrid and Palazzo Pitti sculptures to the present lot, the former is stylistically closer, particularly when examining the smoothness of the carving of the cloth around Ariadne’s torso and the way in which it falls over her left arm.
Working in Rome in the latter half of the eighteenth century, Carlo Albacini gained international acclaim as both a restorer of Greco-Roman antiquities and as a sculptor in his own right. A pupil of Bartolomeo Cavaceppi, Albacini’s knowledge of ancient sculpture greatly influenced his artistic practice and a great many of his works were variations on pre-existing classical models. These types of objects were highly sought-after among patrons who came to Rome as part of the Grand Tour, particularly members of the English nobility with whom he found favour. In addition to Henry Blundell, Albacini’s clients included the art dealer Thomas Jenkins and the collector and antiquarian Charles Townley, whose antiquities collection is now housed in the British Museum. He was also a favourite of royal patrons including Catherine the Great and the King of Naples who commissioned Albacini to restore the Farnese marbles in 1786.