Description
ATTRIBUTED TO JOSEPH NOLLEKENS (ENGLISH, 1737-1823) OR JOHN BACON (ENGLISH, 1740-1799), AFTER A MODEL BY GIAMBOLOGNA (ITALIAN, 1529-1608): A MARBLE RELIEF DEPICTING VENUS AND A DOLPHIN of rectangular form, Venus with her right foot raised, looking to dexter with the dolphin at her feet, 23 x 13.3cm, the figure alone 22cm high PROVENANCE: CHARLES AVERY COLLECTION Charles Avery is a specialist in European sculpture, particularly Italian, French, English, Flemish and Dutch. A graduate in Classics at Cambridge University, he obtained a Diploma in the History of Art at the Courtauld Institute and a doctorate for published work from Cambridge. Having been Deputy Keeper of Sculpture at the Victoria and Albert Museum for twelve years (1966-79), and a Director of Christies for ten years, since 1990 he has been a highly respected, independent historian, consultant, writer and lecturer. His books include Florentine Renaissance Sculpture, 1970, Giambologna the Complete Sculpture, Phaidon, 1987, Donatello: An Introduction, John Murray, 1994; Bernini, Genius of the Baroque, Thames and Hudson, 1997 (paperback, 2006), and The Triumph of Motion: Francesco Bertos, 2008. The present rendering in marble is undocumented, save that it was acquired from a dealer in Florence, but could easily be a tribute to what was held to be the Michelangelo original by an English sculptor, such as Nollekens, who owned it; or John Bacon, who was used to working on a small scale on account of his involvement with modelling ceramics. The marble relief is based on the prototype in terracotta (19.5cm x 10cm) formerly attributed to Michelangelo, and finally in the 1980s - to Giambologna. The provenance of the terracotta relief was possibly Senator Bernardo Vecchietti, Villa Il Riposo, Florence, late 16th century; maybe to Cav. Filippo Guadagni (1698-1769), who exhibited a terracotta relief of Venus attributed to Michelangelo in an exhibition of 1729, held in Santissima Annunziata, Florence. Joseph Nollekens, R.A. (his sale Christies, 3-5 July 1823, 3rd days sale, 5 July, p. 22, lot 23: CINQUECENTO AND OTHER MODELS (From the small closet, First Floor) M. Angelo. The original small highly-finished Model, in relief for the Venus of M. Angelo, framed; Sir Thomas Lawrence sale, 19 June 1830, lot 356 for 55 guineas, bought by Samuel Woodburn; Richard Ford (1796-1828), then by descent to the late Sir Brinsley Ford, London. The terracotta relief, not only because of its intrinsic beauty, but more importantly - because it was deemed to be by Michelangelo, on account of the engraving by Frey of 1743 (and presumably earlier still), became a must have composition, as can be judged by the number and variety of media in which it was reproduced, especially those in three dimensions. From at least 1743, the date of the ivory set into the Brand Cabinet, it was known in England and became popular enough to be rendered for the general public in the cheaper and more durable ceramics of Wedgwood and Staffordshire. Other known versions: The following two lots are also based on this composition, but versions in other materials include: Engraving: by Jacob Frey, within a niche, captioned as by Michelangelo and dated Rome 1743. Marble: A) An oval relief in an antique shop in the Fulham Road (1975), 39.5 x 30cm: seen by Timothy Clifford and Sir Brinsley Ford. B) A round-headed relief, with a dished background, labelled as from the noble Rinuccini Collection in Florence, offered at Sothebys, 2014. Ivory: A) A small oval plaque set into the right-hand door of the Thomas Brand Cabinet (Christies 1938, from The Hoo, Hertfordshire; then London, 27 November 1980, lot 24; and at Christies, 5 July 2012, lot 5). This was made shortly after Horace Walpoles Cabinet of 1743 (W-52.1, 2-1925: see M. Trusted, Victoria & Albert Museum: Baroque and Later Ivories, London 2013, pp. 174-80, no. 148). B) An ivory plaque, purchased from the Roman carver, G.B. Pozzi (d.1752) in January 1741 by Henry Howard, 4th Earl of Carlisle (sold Sothebys, London,11 November 1991, lot 58). C) Another copy in ivory noted by Sir Brinsely Ford set into a mantelpiece in Sizergh Castle Ceramic: A) Salt-glazed earthenware, Staffordshire, oval, c. 1755-60 [?], attributed to John Bacon (1740-1799). Collections of the late Derek and then Sir Timothy Clifford. B) Wedgwood and Bentley oval medallion. Holbourne of Menstrie Museum, Bath; The Brooklyn Museum, New York (exhibited at the Art Institute of Chicago, 1962, no. 71). Literature: Richard Ford, MS list of the contents of 123 Park Street, Front Drawing Room: The terracotta of Venus belonged in my youth to Mr. Nollekens, the famous sculptor, and was kept by him in his studio. Sir T[homas] Lawrence in vain tempted him with extravagant offers: Miser though Nollekens was he preferred this gem to gold: at the death of Nollekens, the terra-cotta was bought by Lawrence who kept it in his studio, where I have seen it 100 times: at Lawrences death and sale it was bought by Samuel Woodburn. I waited patiently and bought it at the death of him, my poor old friend
J. T. Smith [ed. W. Whitten], 'Nollekens and His Times', London/New York, 1920, pp.10, 160: Mr. Nollekens was likewise an indefatigable enquirer after terra-cottas, executed by the most celebrated sculptors, Michel Angelo, John di Bologna, Fiamingo, &c. The best of these he reserved for himself until the day of his death. This beautiful little gem now sparkles out over the chimneypiece of Sir Thomas Lawrences Front Parlour, a room enviably rich in inestimable jewels. C. Avery, 'Giambologna: the Complete Sculpture', Oxford, 1987, pp. 272-73, no. 160, pl. 321 C. Avery, The Ford Giambolognas, in The Walpole Society, LX, Ford I, 1998, pp. 75-76, & colour plate.
