Lot 259: AN ITALIAN MARBLE FIGURE OF RUTH, ON PEDESTAL

AN ITALIAN MARBLE FIGURE OF RUTH, ON PEDESTAL BY GIOVANNI LOMBARDI, ROME, DATED 1870 Signed 'G.B Lombardi / Roma. 1870' The figure: 36 ½ in. (92.5 cm.) high; 16 in. (40.5 cm.) wide; 14 in. (35.5 cm.) deep The pedestal: 28 ¾ in. (73 cm.) high; 16 ½ in. (42 cm.) diameter

(92.5 cm.) high; 16 in. (40.5 cm.) wide; 14 in. (35.5 cm.) deep

A student of the Accademia in Rome under the direction of Piètro Tenerani, a pupil of Thorvaldsen, Lombardi had a celebrated career producing large religious and allegorical subjects. Susanna and Ruth are among the artist's most recognizable works and his studio produced the figures on a number of occasions. A single figure of Ruth was sold at Sotheby's New York, 18 April 2008, lot 243 ($133,000).