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Nessus and Deianira BronzeCirca 1660
Circa 1660
About the Item
A technical and creative masterpiece of the late Renaissance era, this extraordinary bronze figure depicts the famed Greek legend of The Abduction of Deianira. Bringing together the classical nude with the poignancy of the emerging Mannerist style, the work represents the culmination of style during the High Renaissance. This masterfully executed French sculpture dating to the 1660s captures the dramatic mythological scene with a daring and sophistication reminiscent of the best works from its age.
The Abduction of Deianira recounts how Deianira, the wife of Hercules, was abducted by the centaur Nessus after he offered to carry her safely across a river. Hercules soon recovered his wife and slew the centaur Nessus–a dramatic moment that would also be captured by Giambologna. Hercules’ victory would be tragically short-lived, however; with his dying breath, the centaur convinces Deianira to take his blood, claiming it held the power to keep Hercules faithful. Fearing her husband would abandon her, Deianira smeared the blood on Hercules’ lion-skin shroud, which burned the divine hero so severely that he threw himself upon a funeral pyre.
This powerful sculpture captures the moment of Deianira’s capture in a virtuosic treatment of bronze, with its two dramatic figures complexly intertwined. Masterfully composed, its deep carving, original brown-red patina and characteristic casting seams around the limbs reveal its rare mid-17th-century origins. The work is modeled after a bronze by the great Renaissance sculptor Giambologna; two versions by his hand are held in the collection of the Louvre in Paris and the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. Giambologna’s treatment of Deianira’s abduction left an indelible impression, and the bronze was highly sought after on a commissioned basis for decades after its inception–owners included Emperor Rudolf II and the French King Louis XIV. One of these, which is almost identical to the present statue, is held in the Princely Collections of Liechtenstein, while others are in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in York, the Wallace Collection in London and the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen in Dresden.
These bronzes, particularly those dating before the 18th century, are highly coveted by both museums and private collectors alike. A spectacular feat of casting, the work achieves a balance so precarious that the centaur Nessus seems posed to fall and gallop forward at any moment. With its high drama and spiral forms, this bronze is a stunning example of late Renaissance art.
French, circa 1660
25" high x 15" wide x 16 1/2" deep
- Creation Year:Circa 1660
- Dimensions:Height: 25 in (63.5 cm)Width: 15 in (38.1 cm)Depth: 16.5 in (41.91 cm)
- Medium:
- Movement & Style:
- After:Giambologna (1529 - 1608, Italian)
- Period:
- Condition:
- Gallery Location:New Orleans, LA
- Reference Number:Seller: 31-91731stDibs: LU18616246602
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