Lot 511: JOSEPH NOLLEKENS

PAETUS AND ARRIA

height 7 1/8 in.; 18 cm

terracotta

circa 1770

Royal Academy, London, 1771, no. 141; Washington, New York, Cambridge, 1979-1982, no. 115, (illus.); New York, 1981, no. 54; Chicago 1987-88, no. 21; Paris, New York, and Stockholm 2003-2004, no. 105, (illus.)

Kenworthy-Browne 1998, pp. 72-84, no. 5 (illus.)

The estate of the artist, Christie's, London, July 5, 1823, no. 71, purchased by Thane; Sotheby's, London, March 18, 1976, no. 197 (there attributed to Nollekens but as "Virginius and his daughter", with associated Flemish boxwood plinth bearing old label inscribed Virginius and his daughter, Modelled by Flaxman); Cyril Humphris, London

The present group is inspired by the Roman marble group of the second century A.D. from the Ludovisi collection, now in the Museo Nazionale delle Terme in Rome. Today accepted as a representation of a Gaul stabbing himself after having killed his wife to protect her from being taken prisoner, it is related to the famous Dying Gladiator, the Hellenistic bronze originals possibly having been commissioned by Attalus I in the third century B.C. for a monument commemorating his victory over the Gauls of Galatia. Since its discovery in the early 17th century, the marble has been variously titled but in the 18th century was most popularly known as Paetus and Arria. As recorded in Pliny's Epistles, in A.D. 42 Caecina Paetus was accused of involvement in a plot against the emperor Claudius and was ordered to commit suicide. When Paetus hesitated, his stoic wife Arria stabbed herself first and famously exclaimed "Non dolet, Paete" (It doesn't hurt, Paetus).

The group was much admired by Grand Tourists in the 18th century, and Nollekens may have modeled this version during the eight years he spent in Italy, though a plaster copy was shown in London by 1756. Nollekens has deviated from the original, positioning Arria in front of Paetus's feet and draping Paetus to cover his nudity.

A drawing of the group by Nollekens (fig. 1) is included in this sale as lot 572.