European Marble Sculptures Gallery

The museum houses a substantial collection of marble sculptures, the majority of which are garden figures and copies of celebrated sculptures from Greek mythology created by renowned European artists. Among the original sculptures, special mention must be made of Veiled Rebecca, acquired by Salar Jung I. Rebecca is a prominent figure from the Old Testament. The internationally renowned Italian sculptor Giovanni Maria (G.B.) Benzoni masterfully captured Rebecca’s youthful grace and modesty through his exceptional skill in marble carving. (Avoid poetic expressions such as “unerring chisel”.) Other notable works on display include Cleopatra by Prof. Borione, Bébé, a charming sculpture by a French artist depicting the innocence of infancy, and Psyche, the celebrated wife of Cupid in classical mythology, renowned for her beauty. (The spelling and attribution of “Borione” should be verified.) The collection also includes two marble copies after the works of the renowned Italian Neoclassical sculptor Antonio Canova (1757–1822): Pauline Bonaparte as Venus Victrix and another sculpture of Venus. (The original incorrectly identifies Canova as French and misspells his name as “Canora”.) Marble sculptures from Italy, France, and England together form one of the museum’s most distinguished European collections.