PIETRO BAZZANTI (ITALIAN, 1825-1895), AFTER THE MODEL BY ANTONIO CANOVA

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.