Late 19th century marble depicting Eve embracing her two young boys

Sculpted marble sculpture depicting Eve embracing her two young boys, Cain and Abel. Known as "Le Berceau Primitif" ("The First Cradle") this splendid ancient marble from Franchi was carved according to the original French model by Auguste-Hyacinthe De Bay. De Bay's tender work painted the Old Testament figure of Eve softly embracing her two young sons, Cain and Abel, in a delicate homage to the Biblical family, as described in Genesis 4: 1-15. De Bay's famous work was first unveiled in 1845 at the Paris Salon (work 2070), where the sculpture was immediately met with enormous critical acclaim. The work was then exhibited at the Universal Exhibition of 1855 in Paris (work 4314), where it was purchased by the famous Russian collector, the prince Anatoly Nikolaievich Demidoff. Prince Demidoff later sold the beautiful sculpture from Villa San Donato near Firene in 1870. The location of the original marble remains unknown, although it is thought to reside in a private collection. Measurements: 90 cm