AN ITALIAN BRONZE GRAND TOUR FIGURE OF THE BELVEDERE ANTINOUS

AN ITALIAN BRONZE GRAND TOUR FIGURE OF THE BELVEDERE ANTINOUS

AFTER THE ANTIQUE, ROME, 18TH CENTURY, IN THE MANNER OF THE ZOFFOLI BROTHERS

mounted on a black marble plinth, the underside with a label inscribed 'Baring Collection'

22.2cm high (overall)

Provenance

The Baring Collection.

Catalogue Note

The Belvedere Antinous was bought by Pope Paul III (1534-1549) to decorate a niche in the Courtyard of Statues (Cortile delle Statue). It was found around 1540 in the gardens surrounding the Mausoleum of Hadrian (Castel Sant'Angelo) and for this reason it was long held to be a statue of Antinous, the Emperor Hadrian's favourite. The original certainly dates from the time of Hadrian, and shows Hermes in his role as Psychopompos, who guides the souls of the dead to the Underworld.
The god is shown awaiting the deceased, melancholy and with his gaze lowered; his travelling cloak is thrown over his shoulder and wrapped around his forearm.