Italian, probably Rome, late 17th/18th century

The present model relates to four other casts, including one in the Victoria and Albert Museum (inv. no. A81-1951, called 17th century Italian); the Bode Museum (inv.no. 5033); the David Daniels Collection (Sotheby's London 29 April 1989, lot 65); and the Cyril Humphris collection (sold in these rooms 11 January 1995, lot 134). The Berlin example was first attributed by Bode in 1922 to a Florentine workshop of circa 1600, citing similarities with the work of Giambologna, and subsequently attributed by Schlegel to Antonio Abondio, the Milanese medalist who produced several medals of Christ in profile. However, recent academic opinion supports an attribution to a sculptor working within the tradition of Guglielmo della Porta. 

RELATED LITERATURE
W. Bode, The Italian Bronze Statuettes of the Renaissance, rev'd. ed. by J. D. Draper, New York, 1980;
Sculpture from the David Daniels Collection, exhibition catalogue, Minneapolis Institute of Arts, October 1979 - January 1980, no.18, pp.56-57.