224 - Circle of Fabio Fabbi,

Circle of Fabio Fabbi, Italian 1861-1946- The Dance of the Seven Veils; oil on canvas, bears signature 'F. Fabbi' (lower right), 69.7 x 100.5 cm. Provenance: (Probably) Anon. sale, Sotheby's, London, 1 October 1980, lot 94, as 'Fabio Fabbi'. (Probably) Anon. sale, Sotheby's, London, 7 May 1986, lot 50, as 'Fabio Fabbi'. Anon. sale, Christie's, London, 20 May 1988, lot 135b, as 'Italian School'. Property of a Nobleman. Note: The present composition is typical of those favoured by Fabbi, depicting idealised scenes of dancing figures in a somewhat fanciful Middle Eastern setting. Comparable works by Fabbi have been sold at Christie’s, London, on 26 June 2007, lot 88, and Christie’s, New York, on 1 November 2001, lot 106. The composition depicts the biblical figure of Salome dancing before King Herod Antipas, an episode associated with the execution of John the Baptist. Although Salome’s dance is described in the Gospels, the motif of the ‘Dance of the Seven Veils’ developed in later literature and visual art. The term was popularised in the late 19th century, notably through Oscar Wilde’s play 'Salome' (1893), in which the dance became a central dramatic episode.