Media Release
For Immediate Release
London | +44 (0)20 7293 6000 | Matthew Floris | [email protected]
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“Victorian Marble Goddesses and Nymphs
Of Astonishing Grace and Beauty”
Sotheby’s To Sell Carbisdale Castle Collection
Works Coming to Market for the First Time in a Century at
Sotheby’s London on 20 May 2015
LONDON, 23 April 2015 – Christopher Mason, Sotheby’s European Sculpture specialist,
announced today: “This spring Sotheby's will bring to market a highly desirable group of Victorian
marble sculptures that have been off the market for over a century – The Carbisdale Castle
Collection. Encompassing the elegant Neoclassicism of the early part of the century to the
fantastical Romanticism of the Belle Époque years, the works on offer shine a light not only on
collecting tastes at the height of the British Empire, but also on how sculptors of the period created
works of astonishing beauty and grace through their masterful handling of marble.”
The sculptures from Carbisdale Castle, a magnificent Scots Baronial residence situated in the heart
of the Highlands, are being offered for sale by the Scottish Youth Hostels Association (SYHA), the
current custodians of the Castle and its collection. Together with an array of 36 Italian and Scottish
nineteenth-century paintings, most of which are quality copies of Old Masters, the 17 sculptures will
be presented for sale as part of Sotheby's 19th & 20th Century Sculpture auction on 20 May 2015 in
London. The group, which also includes a nineteenth-century textile, is estimated to bring a
combined total in the region of £500,000.
Keith Legge, CEO, Scottish Youth Hostels Associations, commented: “It has been a privilege
for SYHA to have been the custodian of Carbisdale Castle and its contents for the past 70 years
enabling our members and guests to experience living in a castle. SYHA as a self-funding
registered charity has a responsibility to manage appropriately its assets for the good of the
organisation. The proceeds of the sale will be used to sustain SYHA's diverse youth hostel network
of affordable fit-for-purpose accommodation, allowing everyone, but especially young people, to
learn and experience what Scotland has to offer.”
Sculpture Highlights
Pasquale Romanelli, Italian, 1812 - 1887
Andromeda
white marble, on a revolving verde antico column (detail, illustrated on page 1)
Estimate: £80,000-120,000
The Florentine sculptor Pasquale Romanelli achieved an
international reputation for his finely carved mythological and
biblical marble figures. With Andromeda and the sea monster
Romanelli chose a subject that had fascinated artists since the
Renaissance. While most artistic representations of the myth depict
the moment in which Perseus comes to Andromeda’s rescue,
Romanelli represents the maiden in the midst of her peril,
seemingly setting eyes on the monster for the first time. Her
theatrical gesture and wildly flowing hair appear almost baroque,
while Romanelli’s interest in naturalistic detail is showcased in his
virtuosic carving of the monster and rockwork.
Pasquale Romanelli, Italian, 1812 - 1887
Venus and Cupid
white marble, on a revolving verde antico column
Estimate: £60,000-80,000
This marble group is an enchanting example of the Florentine
habit of combining classical subjects with the playful sentimentality
of genre pieces, with Venus, the Roman goddess of love
appearing as a contemporary country girl rather than a classical
deity. Romanelli composed several groups of Venus and Cupid –
this version, both amusing and erotic, is among the most
appealing of the sculptor’s mythological groups. Romanelli’s
flawless handling of the marble in details and facial features
reflects the excellence of his Florentine training.
Johann Christian Lotsch, German, 1790 - 1873
Cupid in Repose
1844, veined white marble, on a veined white marble base
Estimate: £40,000-60,000
Lotsch created some of the most refined and lucidly composed
Romantic marble carvings of the first half of the nineteenth century.
This cupid in repose is a new addition to the oeuvre of 15 marbles
by the artist. Cupid is shown seated, his head in his hand, with his
bow and quiver cast down, the quiver empty, suggesting that love is
languishing for the moment. Lotsch’s popularity among fellow artists
and patrons enabled him to become a leading figure in the German
colony of artists in Rome.
David Watson Stevenson, Scottish, 1842 - 1904
Nymph at the Stream
1872, white marble, on an oak panelled plinth
Estimate: £50,000-70,000
This beautiful marble nude nymph, exhibited at the Royal Academy
in London in 1874, is one of the few sculptures in the Carbisdale
Castle Collection by a native Scottish sculptor. With its Italian
overtones it is a reminder that the Dowager Duchess’ collecting
tastes were simultaneously Scottish and international. The marble's
calm solemnity, idealised physiognomy and folds of drapery recall
the delicate classicism of an earlier generation of sculptors.
Stevenson reveals himself to be a master sculptor in the beautifully
carved pleated hair running down the nymph’s back, and the gentle ripples on the surface of the
water as she dips her toes into the steam.
Lawrence Macdonald, Scottish, 1799 - 1878
Venus
1857, white marble, on an oak panelled plinth
Estimate: £30,000-50,000
This elegant figure of Venus is typical of the gentle classicism of
the Neoclassical sculptor Lawrence Macdonald, one of the
leading Scottish sculptors of the nineteenth century. The
composition is derived from the celebrated Tauride Venus of
Greek antiquity, known from a 2nd-century AD Roman Imperial
copy in the Hermitage. In Rome, Macdonald became the
favoured portrait sculptor of visiting Grand Tourists and the
American elite. During his lifetime, sculptures by him could be
found in the homes of leading members of Britain's aristocracy,
including those of the Dukes of Northumberland and the Earls of
Aberdeen.
History of Carbisdale Castle
Overlooking the Kyle of Sutherland and
constructed between 1906 and 1917,
Carbisdale Castle was the last castle to be
built in Scotland. Its history is one of intrigue,
scandal, war and peace, with the formidable
figure of its first resident, Mary Caroline,
Dowager Duchess of Sutherland (18481912) at its centre. Married three times, her
first husband was Captain Arthur Kindersley
Blair of the 71st Highland Light Infantry
Regiment, who died mysteriously in a
hunting accident in 1883. Her second
husband was the 3rd Duke of Sutherland,
with whom she had embarked on a love
affair in the months leading up to the Captain's death. When the Duke's first wife died in 1889, there
was no bar to wedding his long-term mistress and the two caused a scandal by marrying only four
months after the Duchess' passing. Mary Caroline was branded the 'Duchess Blair' by the Victorian
public, who regarded her as a social climber.
The Duke's death was the catalyst for a legal battle brought by the Duke's natural heirs, who
contested a will which left Mary Caroline the majority of the Sutherland inheritance. When it
emerged that the Dowager had destroyed documents, she was sentenced to six weeks
imprisonment. Upon the eventual agreement of a financial settlement, including the stipulation that
the family construct a residence befitting her station, the Dowager set about the building of
Carbisdale Castle, orchestrating its design to her exacting standards and, over a period of years,
furnishing it with the magnificent collection of statuary and paintings offered in this sale. The
Dowager nevertheless remained embittered by her lost inheritance and in a final flourish she
constructed the castle around a tower with clocks on three sides only. By situating the wall without
the clock facing the Sutherland lands, she made obvious to anyone passing by her claim that she
would not give the family the time of day.
The castle and its collection were donated to the Scottish Youth Hostels Association by Captain
Harold Salvesen in 1945, who had inherited from his father, Colonel Theodore Salvesen, Scots of
Norwegian descent. During the Second World War the family gave refuge to King Haakon VII of
Norway at Carbisdale, where, in 1941, the King signed an agreement with the Soviet Union that
Russian troops would vacate Norway after they had liberated the country from Nazi forces.
From 1945 to 2010, this historic castle, said to be haunted, operated as a popular youth hostel,
under the care of the SYHA.
Paintings Highlights
From left to Right:
A 19th century copy after the painting by Raphael
Madonna della sedia, pastel on paper
Estimate: £500-700
A 19th century copy after the painting by Titian
Venus of Urbino, oil on canvas, in a 19th century Florentine carved and giltwood frame
Estimate: £1,500-2,000
A 19th-century Italian copy by V.E.S. Cecchi after the painting by Rosso Fiorentino
Musical Angel, oil on canvas, in a 19th century Florentine carved and giltwood frame
Estimate: £1,000-1,500
Delphin Enjolras
French, 1857 - 1945
Girl with a Rose
pastel on paper
Estimate: £5,000-7,000
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Notes to Editors
Scottish Youth Hostels Association (also known as SYHA or Hostelling Scotland) is a self-funding charity
operating a network of nearly 70 exceptional youth and affiliate hostels for the benefit of all those wishing to
learn and experience what Scotland has to offer. Our unique sites provide affordable, comfortable, safe and
quality-assured accommodation with a warm friendly welcome, local knowledge, activities and services for
guests travelling around Scotland.
As a not-for-profit organisation, we encourage guests to join SYHA Hostelling Scotland, which is free to
everyone under 16 and students in full-time education. Members enjoy a range of exclusive benefits including
dual membership of Hostelling International, providing access to more than 4,000 youth hostels in over 90
countries worldwide. Membership and guest overnight income supports our charitable youth programmes and
the maintenance of the hostelling network, particularly in rural Scotland.
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