Author Description

This is a superbly illustrated Catalogue of the collection of sculpture in the Ashmolean Museum which is, after that of the Victoria and Albert Museum, the largest and most important in Great Britain. The collection is particularly strong in Italian bronzes and in the work of the New Sculptors (the former from the Fortnum Collection, the latter from the Brocklebank bequest). In addition it possesses the famous ivory Venus and Cupid by Petel, the extraordinary bronze Venus formerly attributed to Hans Mont, the baroque marble bust of Christopher Wren signed by Pierce, a boxwood Saint Sebastian in the style of Bustelli, and the Ugolino by Pierino da Vinci--probably the finest preserved Renaissance relief in wax. The Catalogue, which is divided into three volumes, also includes some ceramics, metalwork, and furniture. It is fully illustrated, including some comparative plates, and contains unusually full discussions of condition and technique.