A marble copy of the kneeling Venus (original in the Vatican Museums), crouching on an octagonal base; the arms raised in expressive pose, head tilted, hair drawn up in a chignon; lettering to base 'KNEELING VENUS' and 'ROME'.

PROVENANCE:
French collection, 1960s-early 2000s.
From an important Paris gallery, France.
with Auktionshaus Kaupp GmbH, Salzburg, Germany, 25 September 2016.

This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.11688-199351.

LITERATURE:
Cf. Uffizi, Florence, inventory no. 1914 n.188.

FOOTNOTES:
The statue is modelled on an ancient original, commonly thought to represent Aphrodite. The original statue of the Crouching Venus was excavated in Salona (modern Solin near Split, Croatia). It was purchased for the Vatican Museums from where it was confiscated by the French under Napoleon, and subsequently returned to the Vatican in 1816.