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Grand Tour Italian Antique Bronze Sculpture of Narcissus by Giorgio Sommer
$5,500
£4,176.28
€4,775.89
CA$7,684.30
A$8,546.62
CHF 4,462.78
MX$104,003.23
NOK 56,996.48
SEK 53,452.64
DKK 35,644.29
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About the Item
GRAND TOUR
Italy, late 19th century
"Narcissus"
Patinated bronze cast by the Giorgio Sommer foundry in Italy, original ink stamp to underside cast circa 1890-1910
stock ref. 406SKN07W-2
Measurements: 24 1/4" H x 9 1/4" W x 9 1/4" D
Condition: Minor handling wear and discoloration to the patina, mostly contained to the hair on his head; minor discolorations to the back with a few scratches present that have tarnished over time; sealed in conservator-grade wax, a very fine presentation ready to place.
Essay:
An exceedingly fine cast after the Greco-Roman statue of Antiquity discovered in a non-descript house in Pompeii in 1862, the sculpture has been widely discussed as an image of Narcissus, while scholars have argued it is instead a depiction of Dionysus and more recently as a cast of Bacchus waving his finger with grapes dangling from it before an unseen panther. It was the last antique statue in Italy to be showered with such considerable worldwide renown and perhaps this is the reason for its popularity.
The sculpture depicts a young man standing entirely devoid of clothing other than a goatskin nebrid thrown over his shoulder, his full head of hair chaotic and unkempt as he stares down at something unseen on the ground before him.
It is this hollow stare and the pensive raised finger that led early scholars to attribute the image to Narcissus, the young man of great beauty loved by all who met him, but he was unwilling to return the same love to anyone. Because he treated those who loved him so poorly, the gods deemed Narcissus would never have anything he loved. One day, when Narcissus was hunting he stumbled across a stream and when he looked into its still waters he saw his own reflection and fell deeply in love with the image. He reached out to grab the figure, but could not grasp it. He stayed beside the stream without sleep or food, sharing every moment with this image, this singular being who captured his heart. And there he wasted away until he died beside the waters and transformed into a flower.
The philisophical statements of the myth underpin the very word Narcisism and make it a particularly compelling image to have at hand - a reminder of the perils of self-delusion.
Unlike most sculptures of antiquity, the present example seems to have almost always been copied both in the same size and in the same medium as the original example with only a few deviations from this norm. Haskell & Penny note that Giuseppe Fiorelli, the director of the Museo Nazionale in Naples from 1863 through 1875 reaffirmed the opinion of the scholars before him in noting the representation as being quite positively Narcissus, but towards the end of the same century opinions shifted and scholars began to interpret the presence of his crown of ivy and the nebrid as being suitable only for Dionysius [see Taste and the Antique, Haskell & Penny, p. 271-272 for discussion].
The present example was cast at the turn of the century circa 1890-1910 by the boutique foundry established by Giorgio Sommer (German/Italian, 1834-1914) in Italy. Giorgio Sommer was a German photographer who spent most of his career in Italy, moving to Naples in 1857 where he first established his photography business. At some point thereafter he opened the foundry, which was rather successful, likely due to the very fine quality of output the firm produced. While most records show the foundry opened in 1885, sources suggest they were producing sculpture early in the 1870s before exhibiting in 1885. Thereafter they produced illustrated cataloges of their sculpture for marketing and distribution. He died in 1914 and the foundry survived him only two years before closing its doors in 1916.
The original ink stamp for the foundry is preserved on the underside of the base. The surface is finished in an even very dark brown patination and exhibits a silky translucency throughout. Note the exceedingly well-chiseled surface with exquisite hand-hammering to the hair throughout his head, very fine articulation of the fingernails and toenails and jeweler-grade casting and finishing to the intricate detail of his thongs. These are fabulously stippled and chiseled - interestingly, one foot is presented raised on its toes versus being placed on a wedge, a very nice detail we don't usually see for this model. The foundries casting this model generally made the back sandal into a "wedge" to give strength to the footing, but this one preserves realism and presents much more effectively.
The image of Narcissus is common to the point of being uninteresting so it is rare that we actually find an example that is compelling enough to purchase for the gallery. This, however, is an exceedingly good cast and a fine treasure.
About silla antiques & art
Established in 2009, we have available in our 9000 square foot brick-and-mortar gallery an ever-changing selection of carefully curated and catalogued furniture, decorative arts, paintings, sculpture and estate jewelry. Our company has long specialized in sculpture circa 1860 through 1930 and as such the gallery always has a very large collection of exceptional European and American sculpture available on display.
The gallery is located at 117 W Burd Street in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania and is open by appointment only. We welcome your visit and would love to meet with you at the shop. For clients located outside of the area, we are always available to discuss items by video conferencing or by phone.
- Creator:Giorgio Sommer (Sculptor)
- Dimensions:Height: 24.25 in (61.6 cm)Width: 9.25 in (23.5 cm)Depth: 9.25 in (23.5 cm)
- Style:Grand Tour (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1890-1910
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Shippensburg, PA
- Reference Number:Seller: 406SKN07W-21stDibs: LU1059043231082
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