Antonio ROSSETTI (1819–1883) and workshop. Abandoned Psyche. Carrara marble statue signed, dated, and inscribed “A. Rossetti, Roma 1878.” Surface condition due to prolonged outdoor exposure; a protective coating (whitewash? / varnish?) was applied at a later date. Height: 120 cm On a gray marble base: Height: 75 cm Model created around 1878. Provenance: given to the grandfather of the current owners by his company upon his retirement in the 1950s. Related literature: - University of Glasgow History of Art, Mapping the Practice and Profession of Sculpture in Britain and Ireland 1851–1951, online database 2011: “Antonio Rossetti.” Note: Antonio Rossetti first studied in Milan under Francesco Somaini, then in Rome, where he settled in 1843. His presence there is documented until 1889, when he participated in the competition for the monument at Ciceruacchio. He is best known worldwide for his large figurative works inspired by Neoclassicism or Romanticism, such as *The Nubian Slave* and *Esmeralda*, as well as for his charming genre pieces. His marble statue *Ophelia*, presented at the 1867 Paris World’s Fair, received glowing reviews describing it as “an excellent example of modern Italian sculpture, imbued with great tenderness and touching pathos; the drapery is sketched with a playful touch; all in all, the execution is exquisite” (The Art Journal, 1867, p. 174). An early version of *An Abandoned Psyche*, dated 1878 like our work, was exhibited in Rome in 1879, but an engraving by Antonio Bonamore (1845–1907) and published in 1876 in the magazine *L’Illustrazione Italiana* presents an early depiction of the subject paired with a statue representing an Angry Cupid—themes drawn from the myth of Psyche and Cupid in Apuleius’s *Metamorphoses*. The work appears to have been quite successful, with several copies produced by the artist’s large workshop and subsequently replicated by later generations (see Cesare Lapini). Appraisal conducted by SCULPTURE et COLLECTION, Ms. Élodie JEANNEST DE GYVÈS and Mr. Alexandre LACROIX - 01 83 97 02 05