Doe and Hope

Description

The massive, oversized terracotta bust of Niobe, at nearly three feet high, facing dexter and gazing slightly upward, wearing a draped shawl with cascading long hair, to a socle plinth base, the whole based on a Roman copy of the Greek original and surviving from late nineteenth century France.

The condition of the bust is pretty good throughout. There are two repaired cracks as per the photographs and wear throughout.

In Greek mythology, Niobe was daughter of Tantalus and wife of Amphion, king of Thebes. Her seven sons and seven daughters were killed by Apollo and Artemis as a punishment for her boasting, causing an age of sorrow for Niobe. She is depicted as a bereaved mother, weeping for the loss of her children.

Busts of this size rarely appear for sale, and she must have once graced a very large chateau. A showstopper.