Flying Mercury. From the model by Giambologna (Douai, 1529-Florence, 1608). 18th-19th century. Bronze with a transparent gilded patina.

Overall 76.5 x 39 x 24 cm

This Mercury is an ancient replica of one of the most famous sculptures made by Giambologna in Florence.

The monumental work is currently housed in the Bargello National Museum in Florence. The sketch is housed in the Medieval Museum in Bologna.

This is one of the Flemish artist's most replicated sculptures and attention is diverted by the quantity of copies present on the market.

Ours, on the other hand, denotes a superior quality and an extraordinary stylistic closeness to the best ancient productions of the Giambologna school.

A distinctive feature, for example, is the treatment of the nails, typically squared, or the facial expression and the rendering of the locks escaping the helmet's grip.

Even the entire physicality of the sculpture refers to the description of a miniature man, with all the anatomical details defined in a naturalistic and emphasized way, from the sex to the buttocks to the chest.

In the best Giambologna school.

For these reasons it is assumed that the bronze was made at least in the 18th century, in full Grand Tour style, if not earlier.

Bibliography:
Charles Avery-Antony Radcliffe, Giambologna Sculptor of the Medici, Exhibition catalogue, Westerham Press, England, 1978, pp. 83–88.
Charles Avery, Giambologna, Cantini, Florence, 1987.
Beatrice Paolozzi Strozzi-Dimitrios Zikos, Giambologna the Gods and the Heroes, Giunti ed., Prato, 2006, pp. 255-68.