Raffaello Bartoletti

Arthur Tooth & Sons, London (acquired directly from the artist, December 1894, as Automne)

David Whitney, Grosse Pointe Shores, Michigan

William Lucking, Detroit, Michigan

Private collects ion, Detroit, Michigan (by descent from the above)

Sale: DuMouchelle Art Gallery, Detroit, date unknown

Dr. and Mrs. Edward S. Smyd, Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan (acquired at the above sale)

The Detroit Institute of Arts (donated from the above in 1977 and sold, Replica Shoes 's, New York, November 3, 1999, lot 50, illustrated)

Private collects ion, United States

Sale: Replica Shoes 's New York, 1 February 2019, lot 428

Flint, Michigan, Flint Institute of Arts; Grand Rapids, Michigan, Grand Rapids Art Museum; Midland, Michigan, Midland Center for the Arts; Muskegon, Michigan, Hackley Art Museum, The Figure in 19th Century French Paintings: A Loan Exhibition from the Detroit Institute of Arts, December 22, 1978-April 30, 1979, no. 17

Marius Vachon, W. Bouguereau, Paris, 1900, p. 158

"Annual Report," Bulletin of the DIA, Detroit, 1977-78, vol. 56, no. 5, p. 277, illustrated fig. 12

Mark Steven Walker, "William-Adolphe Bouguereau: A Summary Catalogue of the Paintings," William-Adolphe Bouguereau, L'Art Pompier, exh. cat., Borghi & Co., New York, 1991, p. 74

Damien Bartoli and Frederick C. Ross, William Bouguereau, Catalogue Raisonné of his Painted Works, New York, 2010, p. 294, no. 1894/13, illustrated p. 295; and in the revised 2014 edition, p. 294, no. 1894/13, illustrated p. 295

Raising a cup with her right hand and holding a tambourine garlanded with vine in her left, this sensual woman depicted by Bartoletti is clearly identifiable as a Bacchante. In Greco-Roman mythology, Bacchantes - also referred to as Maenads - were the female followers of Bacchus, the god of Wine. Notorious for their ecstatic frenzy, which was brought about by dancing and intoxication, Bacchantes were celebrated, as well as feared, in ancient discourse. In classical Greece they were frequently depicted on clay vessels that were used during banquets, stimulating the intoxicating proceedings with Bacchic imagery. The present marble thoroughly embodies the sense of euphoria associated with Bacchantes. Looking over her left shoulder with a triumphant smile, the woman strides forward and shows off her voluminous curves, with a piece of drapery scarcely concealing her modesty.

The Bacchante’s raised right arm and dynamic pose are reminiscent of the celebrated Hebe by the great neoclassical sculptor, Antonio Canova. Bartoletti’s marble is, however, a wholly Belle Époque statue, imbued with an exultant eroticism that only could have been produced during the 19th century.

Born in Pistoia, Raffaele Bartoletti enrolled at the Florentine Accademia di Belle Art in 1872, becoming a prizewinner in 1879 and graduating in 1881. He went on to have a distinguished career as a sculptor, and he exhibited across Europe. Pietro Bazzanti was a central figure in the production of Florentine sculpture at the end of the 19th century. His highly successful studio was established by his father, Niccolo Bazzanti, in 1822 and remains open today. Specializing in sculpture after the antique, as well as original allegorical and genre pieces, Bazzanti’s studio attracted accomplished sculptors such as Cesare Lapini, Ferdinando Vichi, Guglielmo Pugi, and also Bartoletti, all of whom executed works bearing the inscription: Galleria Bazzanti. A nearly identical sculpture of a bacchante by Bartoletti was sold in these rooms on 10 July 2019 for £287,500.