Object Description
This is a truly magnificent antique Victorian patinated bronze sculpture of the famous Greek God Apollo, modelled upon a shaped circular socle, inscribed monogram ‘NF’ and numbered 21170 to the underside, circa 1860 in date.
This stunning bronze sculpture features Apollo in classical pose after the celebrated marble sculpture of the “Apollo Belvedere”. The nude figure is standing tall with his right arm resting on a tree and his left arm outstretched.
Slung over Apollo’s shoulders is his quiver held in place by a strap. As exactly in the original Apollo Belvedere, the God here appears in magnificent form and physique, and he is shown just moments after releasing his arrow. Apollo stands “contrapposto”, with one leg remaining rigid while the other is relaxed;
This high-quality hot cast solid bronze was produced using the traditional “lost wax” process, otherwise known as the “cire perdue” method.
This is a splendid antique bronze sculpture and it will no doubt become the centrepiece of your collection.
Condition:
In excellent condition, please see photos for confirmation.
Dimensions in cm:
Height 36.5 x Width 23 x Depth 14 & Weight 12.5 kg
Dimensions in inches:
Height 1 foot, 2 inches x Width 9 inches x Depth 5 inches & Weight 27.6 lbs
Apollo has been variously recognised as a god of light and the sun, truth prophecy, healing, music, poetry, and more. Apollo is the son of Zeus and Leto and has a twin sister, the huntress – Artemis. Apart from his heroic courage dashingly handsome Apollo was also known for number of love affairs with both nymphs and mortal women.
The Apollo Belvedere (also called the Pythian Apollo or Apollo of the Belvedere) is a celebrated marble sculpture from Classical Antiquity.
The Apollo is now thought to be an original Roman re-creation of Hadrianic date (ca. 120–140). The distinctively Roman foot-wear is one reason scholars believe it is not a copy of an original Greek statue. It was rediscovered in central Italy in the late 15th century during the Italian Renaissance and was placed on semi-public display in the Vatican Palace in 1511, where it remains. It is now in the Cortile del Belvedere of the Pio-Clementine Museum of the Vatican Museums complex.
From the mid-18th century, it was considered the greatest ancient sculpture by ardent neoclassicists, and for centuries it epitomized the ideals of aesthetic perfection for Europeans and westernized parts of the world.
Lost Wax Method
sometimes called by the French name of cire perdue or the Latin, cera perduta is the process by which a bronze or brass is cast from an artists sculpture.
In industrial uses, the modern process is called investment casting. An ancient practice, the process today varies from foundry to foundry, but the steps which are usually used in casting small bronze sculptures in a modern bronze foundry are generally quite standardised.
Contrapposto is an Italian term that means counterpoise. It is used in the visual arts to describe a human figure standing with most of its weight on one foot so that its shoulders and arms twist off-axis from the hips and legs in the axial plane.
Our reference: A3293