Sculptures
Paduan workshop XVI century
Further images
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This bronze statuette depicts a nude young man standing in contrapposto, his head inclined in a pose that is at once graceful and contemplative. It is clearly inspired by the Idolino of Pesaro, the celebrated antique Roman bronze discovered in 1530 and now preserved in the National Archaeological Museum, Florence. The supple modelling of the torso, the refinement of the limbs and the delicate treatment of the face attest to the high technical quality of a Paduan workshop working in the Venetian tradition, active around the middle of the 16th century. |
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Such works belong to the tradition established by Andrea Riccio and his successors, who combined archaeological rigour with humanist elegance. The green marble base with red porphyry inset, added later in the 18th century, reflects the neo-classical taste of European collectors.
Statuettes of this type were intended for Renaissance humanist cabinets, where they embodied both knowledge of antiquity and an ideal of measured beauty. The work perfectly exemplifies the aesthetic of Paduan bronzes, characterised by formal rigour and a restrained elegance.
Provenance
Paris, Nicolas Landau collection, c. 1965;
M. Laloux-Dessain, Paris & Brussels;
Acquired from the above in 1977 by Mr Tom Willard, Brussels;
Private collection, Brussels.
Literature
Unpublished work