Lot 354: A French/Italian dual-patinated bronze bust of Bianca Capello

Cast from a model by Cesar Ceribelli, Late 19th Century
Inscribed C. Ceribelli, on a rouge marble base
23 3/4 in. (60.5 cm.) high

Cesar Ceribelli was born in Rome in 1841 where he studied at the Acadamie de France. He moved to Paris in 1866 and became a naturalised French citizen. Ceribelli exhibited regularly at the Salon until 1907, specialising in genre figures and portraiture.

The present subject, Bianca Capello, was a Venetian noblewoman and the second wife of Francesco de Medici (d.1587). She was well-known for her beauty and intelligence, and her court intrigues were the scandal of her time. Ceribelli introduced her bust-length portrait in 1881.

Another example of this model sold these rooms, 24 April 2002, lot 327 ($7,170).