Selika

Artist: Pietro Calvi, Italian, 1833–1884
Date: 1874
Material: Marble and bronze
made in: Milan, Lombardy region, Italy, Europe
Classification: Sculpture
Collection: Modern and Contemporary Art
Current Location: Not on view
Dimensions: 38 × 19 1/2 × 16 1/2 in. (96.5 × 49.5 × 41.9 cm)
Credit Line: Bequest of Edith J. and C. C. Johnson Spink, Gift of the Ford Foundation, Mr. and Mrs. Marcus Rice, Bequest of Pearl B. Wright, and Dr. Byron Mansfield Wagner and Jedonna Prince Wagner, all by exchange
Rights: Public Domain
Object Number: 6:2023

NOTES

Here, Pietro Calvi depicted the character of Selika, an African queen from the 1865 French opera L’Africaine (The African Woman). Selika is a tragic figure who sacrifices herself when her lover leaves her for another woman. She dies by breathing in the scent of a manchineel blossom, the poisonous flower she holds. Calvi was known for experimenting with materials and used the contrast of the bronze and marble to great dramatic effect. The sculpture illustrates the emotionally charged moment before Selika’s death and also highlights her identity as a character of color.

Provenance

2010/03/17
sold at auction, Neret-Minet, Paris, France

2010/03/17 -
unknown art dealer, Paris, France, purchased from Neret-Minet auction house

2010/03/29 -
Bowman Sculpture, London, England, purchased from the French art dealer [1]

2023 -
Saint Louis Art Museum, purchased from Bowman Sculpture [Robert Bowman], London, England [2]

Notes:
[1] The source for this provenance is an email dated November 14, 2022, from Robert Bowman to Simon Kelly. The Neret-Minet auction was "Tableaux, meubles et objets d’art" on March 17, 2010, and the sculpture was lot 50. The work was also submitted to Art Loss Register for a certificate dated November 22, 2022 [SLAM document files].

[2] Invoice (undated) received 3/24/2023 [SLAM document files]. Minutes of the Collections Committee of the Board of Trustees, Saint Louis Art Museum, March 27, 2023.

We regularly update records, which may be incomplete. If you have additional information, please contact us at provenance@slam.org.