Auction 242
By Bertolami Fine Art
Dec 14, 2022
Bertolami Fine Arts srl Piazza Lovatelli, 1 00186 Roma Italia, Italy
30 Novembre 2022 ore 15:30 CET
The auction has ended

LOT 17:

ROMAN BRONZE ARTIST, XVII-XVIII CENTURY

Reclining lion cub

Gilded mercury bronze. The ...

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Sold for: €700
Start price:
700
Estimated price :
€1,000 - €1,800
Buyer's Premium: 27% More details
14/12/2022 at Bertolami Fine Art
tags:

ROMAN BRONZE ARTIST, XVII-XVIII CENTURY

Reclining lion cub

Gilded mercury bronze. The tail features some defects. 8 x 17 x 6 cm

The fine lion cub shown herein features some really refined chiseling and a wonderful gold-coating. The mane, snout and paws have been polished to perfection in the refining process.

This item can be compared to Roman manufacts of the XVII century, particularly the remarkable “Calvario”, made of ebony, bronze and gemstones preserved in the Museo Nazionale del Palazzo di Venezia, Rome.

The “Calvario” is a type of ebony structure depicting the Crucifix and all the biblical figures related to it in bronze. The aforementioned Roman specimen was attributed to Jacob Cornelisz Cobaert (Flanders 1535-Rome 1615) and to Bernini’s workshop. Said statue features a multitude of bronze saints and angels, all gilded. The whole sculpture is held up by laying bronze lion cubs very similar to our specimen.
Thanks to this comparison, we may cautiously assign our item to said school.

Comparative bibliography:
P. Cannata, Museo Nazionale del Palazzo di Venezia, sculture in bronzo, Roma 2011, pp. 142-154 e tav. 170

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