Description:
Giovanni Maria Benzoni (Italian, 1809-1873)
Young Girl and Her Dog, alternatively titled La Riconoscenza (Gratitude)
Signed and dated "G. M. BENZONI R.A. 1855 ROMA" l.l.
Marble with a pedestal, height 27 1/2 in. (69.8 cm).
Condition: Break to paw, repaired breaks/cracks, discolorations, surface grime, soiling/surface abrasions.
Provenance: MSPCA-Angell; proceeds of the sale will help restore archives recently damaged in a fire.
N.B. Giovanni Maria Benzoni was born near Bergamo, Italy, and studied with Giuseppe Fabris at Academia di San Luca in Rome. A technically skilled sculptor, Benzoni is best known for his neoclassical marble works in which the stone is imbued with qualities of softness and life.
Estimate $5,000-8,500
The dogs right rear paw is broken off (but retained),there are cracks to the base in the front, and a repair to the girl's right foot. The soiling is unobtrusive.
The approximate width of the sculpture is 21 in. The approximate total height (including base) is 65 in.