Kneeling Venus. After Giambologna. Tuscany, 17th-18th century. Reddish-black patinated bronze mounted on an antique mixed marble base.

Bronze only 23 x 15 x 13 cm

This beautiful kneeling Venus drying herself is an ancient derivation of the bronze attributed to Giambologna in the inventory of the Medici collection in 1580, now kept in the National Museum of Bargello, Florence.

Many replicas were made in ancient times, first of all the pupil of the master Antonio Susini created some splendid casts now in the major museums of the world.

The one at the Met comes from the Smith collection and is attributed to Susini based on Giambologna's model. It measures 24.9 cm. All the finest versions have more or less these dimensions and a round geometric pedestal, about 2-3 cm high.

Our version, without going into reckless attributions, measures 23 cm and does not have the circular plinth, therefore it is similar in size to the MET version.

The physiognomic features, the mirror-like surface of the body and the chiseling of the hair and nails (squared, in the best Giambologna tradition) lead us to assume that this is an ancient version of the subject from the seventeenth or eighteenth century.

Bibliography:
Anthony Radcliffe-Nicholas Penny, Art of the Renaissance Bronze the Robert H. Smith Collection, Philip Wilson Publishers, London, 2004, pp.188, 189.