Lot 219: AN ITALIAN WHITE MARBLE FIGURE OF RUTH, ON PEDESTAL

AN ITALIAN WHITE MARBLE FIGURE OF RUTH, ON PEDESTAL
BY GIOVANNI BATTISTA LOMBARDI, ROME, CIRCA 1880
Signed GB Lombardi Rome, on a rotating marble columnar pedestal
The figure: 37½ in. (95 cm.) high; The pedestal: 16 in. (40.5 cm.) high

A student of the Accademia in Rome under the direction of Piètro Tenerani, a pupil of Thorvaldsen, Lombardi established a celebrated career producing large religious and allegorical subjects. Much like his figures of Susanna and Ruth in lots 219 and 220, the artist heavily favored individual female subjects, including Deborah and Rebecca. However, 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) and a pair at Sotheby's New York, 27 April 2006, lot 209 ($102,000).