Woman Bathing. Giambologna (Douai, 1529-Florence, 1608) from a model. 17th-18th century. Patinated bronze, worn.

12.5 x 6 x 4.5 cm

For this small bronze, we must refer to the original model made by Giambologna, now housed in the Bargello National Museum in Florence. Critics unanimously consider this and two other bronzes, the Apollino and the Crouching Venus, also in the Bargello collection, to be "studies" created by the master around the mid-16th century and then cast in bronze.

All three retain a beautiful sketchy appearance, with little cold finishing. It's thought they were ideas jotted down for later use in more important compositions.

They were certainly replicated in the workshop and later in the foundries that inherited the master's models. Other foundries undoubtedly also replicated these bronzes to have them available for their model collections.

While it's impossible to delve into the myriad of attributions surrounding Giambologna's models, our Venus can be prudently dated to the 17th-18th century, reflecting the artistic taste mentioned above. The high quality of the casting and the beautiful worn patina place it, in my opinion, among the ancient versions of the subject.

Reference bibliography:
Charles Avery-Anthony Radcliffe, Giambologna Sculptor to the Medici, exhibition catalogue, Weserham Press, England, 1978.