Pair Of Italian Bronzes - Minerva And Judith

Pair of bronzes mounted on a marble base representing for the first Minerva helmeted, standing, dressed in the antique style and leaning on her shield decorated in its center with the head of Medusa. Inspired by antiquity both by the subject represented and by the drapery, this sculpture is quite representative of the small bronzes produced in Italy from the second renaissance. The second sculpture represents Judith, heroine of the Bible. The graceful contraposto of Judith, with her delicate face and beautiful hands with long slender fingers, contrasts strikingly with the gigantic bearded head of Holofernes. A bronze of this model, after Tiziano Aspetti, is in the Kunsthistorishe Museum in Vienna. Coming from a family of active bronziers in Padua, Aspetti left for Venice, in an artistic environment marked by the influence of Jacopo Sansovino (1486-1570) and Danese Cattaneo (1512-1572). He then trained with his contemporary, Girolamo Campagna (1549-1625), whose flourishing workshop radiated throughout Veneto, Padua and as far as Tuscany. Manufactured in the 19th century, this pair of small bronzes fits perfectly into the production of bronzes intended for a wealthy clientele who liked to tour Italy to discover its architectural and artistic marvels. Italy, 19th century. Minerva: Height: 24cm Width: 9 cm Depth: 8.7 cm Height without base: 22 cm. Judith: Height: 22 cm Width: 9.5 cm Depth: 9 cm Height without base: 19.4 cm Worldwide delivery