Italian, Florence or Rome, early 18th century

This beautifully cast bronze Antinous is inspired by the famous Belvedere Antinous in the Vatican Museums (inv. no. 907). Unlike many 18th-century statuette bronzes after or inspired by ancient models, the present bronze exhibits an element of inventiveness and Baroque licence in its composition. Note the arched tree trunk which rises from the integrally cast socle and is beautifully chased. The details, such as the individual tendrils of hair, and the brushed surface with rich golden-red patina, underscore the high quality of the bronze. The sense of languor recalls Duquesnoy's Mercury in the Liechtenstein Collections (circa 1630), whilst the statuette size and small plinth or socle relate in type and concept to the figures cast after antique statues in Florence by Massimiliano Soldani-Benzi, Francesco Formigli and Giuseppe Piamontini.