A bronze figure of the Venus de' Medici
Cast bronze figure with shimmering dark brown patina on a black marble plinth. Minor moisture damage to the patina on the reverse, a small casting fault to one ankle, chips to the marble base. H 23, H with stone plinth 25.5 cm.
Attributed to Northern Italy / Venice, 17th C.
The small bronze figure is a replica of the Roman marble sculpture recovered in the 16th century, which in turn probably goes back to a model by the Hellenistic sculptor Praxiteles. The life-sized marble figure was in the possession of the Medici until it entered the collection of the Uffizi Gallery in Florence at the end of the 17th century. The statue quickly became a famous object of study for artists and sculptors and was copied many times. Beautiful to look at from all sides, the nude figure presents herself shamefacedly, hiding her breasts and midriff with both hands; her head is turned to the side, as if surprised by an onlooker.
Literature
Cf. cat. ex aere solido Bronzen von der Antike bis zur Gegenwart, Berlin 1983, cat. no. 73.
S.a. Krahn, Bronzetti Veneziani. Die venezianischen Kleinbronzen der Renaissance aus dem Bode-Museum Berlin, Berlin-Cologne 2003, cat. no. 40.
S.a. Boschung, Die Rezeption antiker Statuen als Diskurs. Das Beispiel der Venus Medici, in: Schade/Rößler/Schäfer (eds.), Zentren und Wirkungsräume der Antikerezeption, Paderborn 2007, p. 165 ff.