Dreweatts 1759
Lot 561
λ GUIDO RIGHETTI (ITALIAN, 1875-1958), A RARE BRONZE MODEL 'LIÈVRE ASSIS' 20TH CENTURY The seated alert hare on naturalistic base, posthumous lost wax cast, signed to cast G. Righetti, stamped UDB (Univers du Bronze Paris) and EA I/IV 35.5cm high, base 30.5cm long Provenance: The Imogen Paine collection of rabbits Sotheby's, Gleneagles Hotel, 1-2 September 1998, lot 1015Sotheby's, Deborah, Duchess Of Devonshire: The Last Of The Mitford Sisters, 2nd March 2016, lot 262 £9,870 Deborah, Duchess of Devonshire, inherited from her father the 2nd Baron Redesdale a love for country life- for dogs, horses, livestock, agricultural shows and, perhaps most famously, chickens. She was also fond of rabbits- as her purchase of this bronze from Sotheby's Gleneagles sale in 1998 shows. Righetti was born in Milan in 1875 and drawing inspiration from Prince Paulo Troubetzkoy, a friend of the family, turned his hand to modelling and sculpting animals. Troubetzkoy was a vegetarian and animal lover- and lived surrounded by tamer animals. Righetti too seems to have been driven by a greater love for the animal world than some of his predecessors- creating a home for himself in the Hermitage of San Salvatore near Mount Erba- living and sculpting in a building alongside hens, sheep and passing wilder animals. He worked from life- the pets at home, the wilder caged animals in the zoos and the uncaged wild animals around him. Exhibiting in Italy at first- he went on to show at the 1914 Venice International Exhibition and the San Francisco World Fair in 1915. Margherita Sarfatti writing of his exhibition at the Central Art Gallery in 1920 stated :"the sculptor Guido Righetti, one of the very few Italian sculptors, who shows that he is assiduously interested and pay attention to the groupings and games of muscles and limbs of our adorable lower brothers.."Condition Report: Good and with very mild wear as per handling and age. Base with mild wear from table contact. Some dust and verdigris build up to crevices- notably around tailPlease see additional images for visual references to condition which form part of this condition report.All lots are available for inspection and Condition Reports are available on request. However, all lots are of an age and type which means that they may not be in perfect condition and should be viewed by prospective bidders; please refer to Condition 6 of the Conditions of Business for Buyers. We must advise you that we are not professional restorers or conservators and we do not provide any guarantee or warranty as to a lot's condition. Accordingly, it is recommended that prospective buyers inspect lots or have their advisors do so, and satisfy themselves as to condition and accuracy of description. All lots are offered for sale "as viewed" and subject to the applicable Conditions of Business for Buyer's condition, which are set out in the sale catalogue and are available on request. Buyers are reminded that liability for loss and damage transfers to the buyer from the fall of the hammer. Whilst the majority of lots will remain in their location until collected, we can accept no responsibility for any damage which may occur, even in the event of Dreweatts staff assisting carriers during collection. Condition Report Disclaimer
