The Reception
We do not know who the sculptor of this work is, although one possibility is Italian sculptor Odoardo Tabacchi (1836-1905). Tabacchi studied at the Accademia di Brera in Milan and was teacher of sculpture at the Accademia Albertina of Fine Arts in Turin.
The sculpture which depicts a woman attending a ball, holding a fan in her left hand, was purchased by Merton. He originally placed the piece in the Main Hall, at the entrance to the galleries.
