Lot 88: FRANCESCO BERTOS (1678-1741), ITALIAN, VENICE, FIRST HALF 18TH CENTURY

FRANCESCO BERTOS (1678-1741), ITALIAN, VENICE, FIRST HALF 18TH CENTURY SUMMER AND AUTUMN bronze, on a white marble base 34.5cm., 13 5/8 in. and 39cm., 15¼in.

XXIII Biennale Mostra Mercato Internazionale del Antiquariato, Palazzo Corsini, Florence, 2003

C. Avery, The triumph of motion. Francesco Bertos (1678-1741) and the art of sculpture. Catalogue raisonné, Turin, 2008, pp. 194-96, nos. 73-74

Sotheby's New York, 23 January 2003, lot 194;
Trinity Fine Art, London, 2003

There are only six pairs of single figure bronzes documented in the Bertos Catalogue raisonné by Charles Avery. Each pair has matching bases and it seems that they were made as one to one protagonists, rather than as part of larger groups. Francesco Bertos is renowned for his complex and innovative iconography so it is not surprising that he should dispense with the convention of always producing four personifications of the seasons as sets and it is characteristic of the eccentric Venetian sculptor that he would give his figures alternative meanings. In the case of the present pair they have also been described as Bacchus and Ceres. This pair has a particularly fine rich brown patina and delicate chasing. The elegant lines of the billowing drapery of Summer and the grape-laden vine of Autumn epitomise Bertos's unique style.