An Italian bronze figure of Pomona, attributed to Massimiliano Soldani Benzi (1656-1740), 18th century, Florentine

rich copper colored patina beneath red-gold translucent lacquer, on integrally cast bronze base. 

RELATED LITERATURE:
C. Avery, "Soldani's Small Bronze Statuettes after 'Old Master' Sculpture in Florence", in Kunst der Barok in de Toskana, Munich, 1976, p. 172, fig. 10
K. Lankheit, Die Modellsammlung der Porzellanmanufaktur Doccia, Munich, 1982, no. 80:13, p. 147
P. Bobber and R. Rubenstein, Renaissance Artists and Antique Sculpture, Oxford, 1986, no. 58

Pomona, the allegorical representation of Autumn, bears the fruits of the season enfolded in the drapery of her dress.  Soldani's source for the figure was the Roman marble in the Uffizi, admired for the elegance of her draperies and lively pose. 

From the Renaissance onwards the figure was grouped with other representations of the Seasons and with other figures of deities after the Antique.  A series by Soldani measuring the same size as the present figure can be found in Chatsworth.  Others, slightly larger and probably the original figures produced by Soldani, are in the Liechtenstein Collection.

Soldani's model was acquired in the eighteenth century by the Ginori porcelain factory at Doccia.  The whereabouts of this model are now unknown, but a white porcelain figure made at the factory, formerly in the Lapicerella Collection, is in the Detroit Institute of the Arts.