"Apollo" Large Art Deco Bronze of Male Nude by Marcello Mascherini (Italy, 1906-1983).

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One of the great, indisputable masterpieces of Marcello Mascherini's career, and one of his relatively early works, this large bronze … Read more One of the great, indisputable masterpieces of Marcello Mascherini's career, and one of his relatively early works, this large bronze depicting Apollo with his lyre was made for the MS Italia ocean liner. The ship had been built in 1928; twenty years later it as redecorated with a series of bronzes by Mascherini, led by Apollo. The god is shown singing to the heavens, his nudity relaxed and uninhibited; around the base of the sculpture is a frieze of mythological scenes showing Apollo with Pan, again playing his music to entrance both man and god. Mascherini exhibited widely starting in the 1920s, showed his works in dedicated spaces at the Venice International Biennales in 1938, 1942, 1954 and 1962, and sculpted works for many ocean liners, including the Italia. The sculpture is clearly signed, and maintains a lovely, warm patina. See less