Ettore Ferrari (Italian, 1848-1929): Eudorus and Cymodocea - The Christian Martyrs Monogrammed and dated 'EF 1869' (upper right) The terracotta relief depicting the couple being arrested by Roman soldiers before they face martyrdom together, 52cm wide, 4.5cm deep, 28cm high (20in wide, 1 1/2in deep, 11in high) Footnotes: Provenance Sotheby's, London, 19th & 20th Century European Sculpture, 2 June 2010, lot 118, where acquired Literature S. Berresford, Ettore Ferrari 1845-1929: Terracottas and Drawings, London, 1994, no. 1, pp. 28-9 Inspired by the epic 1809 prose poem Les Martyrs by François-René de Chateaubriand. Eudorus, a brave Christian soldier, falls in love with Cymodocea, a beautiful pagan woman and daughter of a priest of Homer. Despite their different beliefs, they are deeply devoted to each other. When Emperor Diocletian begins persecuting Christians, Cymodocea is moved by their courage and by her love for Eudorus, leading her to convert to Christianity. When Eudorus is arrested and sentenced to death in the Colosseum, Cymodocea chooses to join him rather than abandon him. Together, they are martyred by wild beasts. As they die, a miraculous thunderclap announces the fall of the old pagan gods, symbolising the coming triumph of Christianity throughout the Roman Empire. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing