Veiled Vestal

The sculpture is a marble representation of a veiled Vestal Virgin, the priestesses of Vesta, goddess of hearth and home, whose duty it was to keep a sacred fire burning in her temple in Ancient Rome.

Such sculptures, imitating translucent fabrics, were popular at the time and Cavendish's close friend, the sculptor Antonio Canova, was a particular admirer of Giuseppe Sanmartino's 1753 Veiled Christ.

After joining the failed 1848 revolutions against Austrian rule, he moved to London where he became known for creating works similar to the Veiled Vestal.

[3] He became a busy commercial artist and his veiled A Circassian Slave in the Market Place at Constantinople (afterwards also purchased by Cavendish) was featured in the Great Exhibition of 1851 along with the Vestal Virgin and other examples of his work.

[4][3][5] Despite this Monti ended his career in debt, forced to sell his sculpting tools, and died in 1881 in the house of German watchmaker in London.

[1] In May 2019 the sculpture was removed from public display and transported to Sotheby's, New York, where it formed part of the 12-week Treasures from Chatsworth exhibition, designed by David Korins.

[8] Later in the scene Elizabeth views other sculptures in the gallery and it ends with her long contemplation upon a bust of Mr. Darcy, her future husband.

She considers that the figure's flame reflects Elizabeth's "virginal sexual desire" and the veil represents the things that have previously "prevented her from seeing Darcy for what he is".