19th Century Grand Tour Bronze Greek Danaid Sculpture After Vatican Roman Marble

Details

Description

A beautiful Grand Tour bronze sculpture depicting a classical water-carrying nymph, traditionally known as a Danaid, gracefully bending over a … Read more A beautiful Grand Tour bronze sculpture depicting a classical water-carrying nymph, traditionally known as a Danaid, gracefully bending over a basin. Finely detailed with flowing drapery, an elaborate hairstyle, and a rich green-brown patina, the figure rests on an attractive green marble-style base.

The sculpture is a bronze reduction of an ancient Roman marble preserved in the Vatican Museums' Museo Pio-Clementino, Gallery of Statues (Inventory No. 563). The original marble body dates to the mid-2nd century AD and was discovered in 1778 at Palestrina, near Rome, in the ancient city of Praeneste. Interestingly, the Vatican statue was restored with an unrelated 1st-century AD head identified as Apollo, giving the figure its distinctive, delicately modeled appearance.

Bronze reductions of celebrated classical sculptures became popular souvenirs among wealthy European travelers during the Grand Tour, bringing the art and antiquities of Italy into private homes and collections.

A wonderfully decorative example of neoclassical sculpture with a fascinating connection to one of the world's great collections of ancient art.

Dimensions: 13.5"H × 7.25"W See less