In French, 18th century style

The Furietti Centaurs

VAT reduced rateUK: Greenford Park Warehouse

Lot Closed

December 14, 02:26 PM GMT

Estimate

6,000 - 8,000 GBP

Lot Details

Description

Property from a Swiss Private Collection

In French, 18th century style

After the Antique

The Furietti Centaurs

bronze, on brass and tortoiseshell mounted pedestals

bronzes: 51 by 38 and 43 by 33cm., 20 by 15in. and 17 by 13in.

pedestals: 26 by 40.5cm., 10¼ by 16in. each

This lot contains endangered species. Sotheby’s recommends that buyers check with their own government regarding any importation requirements prior to placing a bid. For example, US regulations restrict or prohibit the import of certain items to protect wildlife conservation. Please note that Sotheby’s will not assist buyers with the shipment of this lot to the US. A buyer’s inability to export or import these lots cannot justify a delay in payment or sale cancellation.

The present pair of bronzes are reductions of the two monumental grey-black marble Centaurs that were excavated at Hadrian’s Villa in Tivoli in 1735 and have been housed in the Capitoline Museums, Rome since 1765. The models are named after Giuseppe Furietti (1685-1764), the cardinal and antiquarian who discovered the marbles.

Following their discovery, the Centaurs became highly popular and bronze casts of the statues were acquired by major academies, such as the Royal Academy in London. The models were widely admired by affluent collectors and especially by Grand Tour travellers, who commissioned reproductions of smaller sizes in various media.

RELATED LITERATURE

F. Haskell and N. Penny, Taste and the Antique, The Lure of Classical Sculpture, 1500-1900, London, 1982, pp. 176-179