Lot 73: Circle of Alessandro Vittoria (Italian 1525-1608)A late 16th century gilt bronze figure of Venus Marina Period Design

standing a contra-posto, her hair loose and falling in gentle waves, looking to dexter, holding a shell in her right hand and leaning her left on the tail of a dolphin, balanced head down at her feet, on an integral circular base, raised on an 18th century marble plinth modelled as a fluted column on circular base, the bronze 15cm high, 27cm high overall

15cm high

The present bronze displays many stylistic features associated with the work of a small number of sculptors working in Venice in the late 16th century. Among them was Alessandro Vittoria, who worked in the studio of Sansovino before setting up his own studio in 1550. He continued to work on projects with Sansovino until the sculptor's death in 1570, and by this time was considered to be one of the finest sculptors in Venice, receiving numerous commissions from aristocratic patrons. Of particular note is his bronze figure of Juno (now in the Metropolitan Museum), which is modelled in the same stance as the present bronze, with left knee bent, right arm crossing the body and left arm resting on a peacock rather than a dolphin as in the present lot. The tilt of the head and flowing hair down the elongated neck are also strongly reminiscent. The gentle turning of the body, producing a spiral composition which is designed to be viewed from various angles is typical of the work produced by this group of sculptors and was ultimately derived from the work of Giambologna, working in Florence during this period. Another bronze of Juno attributed to Vittoria (Galleria Franchetti, Italy) also depicts the goddess in this pose, her loose drapery held in place by a sash across the body, a device also visible in our example. Other comparable bronzes include those of the same subject by Girolama Campagna (1549-1625), also working in Venice during this period. His Venus Marina (Metropolitan Museum, no. 40.14.7) features a near identical composition, however she lacks the drapery and shell that feature in the present example, and her hair is arranged in an elaborate coiffure where as the hair of this Venus Marina falls in soft waves around her shoulders. Campagna's bronze also displays a slightly more stocky physique than the this example, whose body is more elongated and her pose more fluid. Another similar bronze sold at Sothebys New York (June 8 2007, lot 437) was catalogued as 'late 16th century, probably Venice' and depicted Apollo Musagetes. The present bronze relates very closely to this example in terms of physique, pose and execution, although the composition with leg raised and arm crossing the body has been reversed. It was noted that this bronze was particularly highly finished and finely chased (which is also true of the present example) and so might have been produced outside of Venice, and for this reason an attribution of Francavilla was suggested; Francavilla was a Flemish sculptor working in Florence with Giambologna. The fine execution, delicately modelled features and sophisticated pose indicate that the present bronze was produced by a highly accomplished sculptor.