Object Description
Pandora
By Ferdinando Andreini
Carved from statuary marble with great virtuosity, representing the mythological figure of Pandora, draped in a single flowing garb as she gazes at the small, lidded vase in her hands, a moment frozen in time as she contemplates opening the box. Signed “F. Andreini / Galleria F. Vichi / Firenze.”
Italian, circa 1880
A sculpture of smaller size, also by Andreini, representing a bather, was sold at Sotheby’s for £187,500 GBP in 2019.
Ferdinando Andreini (1843-1922)
Ferdinando Andreini was a student of Ulisse Cambi in Florence, and is well known for a bust of Victor Emmanuel for the Sala del gran consiglio of Florence. He mostly worked in Florence, and exhibited in various salons from 1861, both in Florence and in Turin.
The present marble belongs to a series of sculptures by Andreini, executed during the last quarter of the 19th century, focusing on nude or scantily-clad figures. With its pure white marble, coupled with the mythological subject matter, Pandora is a prime example of Italian Romantic sculpture.