LOMBARDY, LATE 16TH CENTURY
Venus and Cupid
sculpted silver-plated wood with gilt details, cm 140 h
Characterized by her sinuous body only partially and modestly covered by an exuberant drapery, this sculpture of Venus appears to echo one of the most fascinating creations of Giambologna: the bronze figure of the same goddess (1570-72) which originally crowned the so-called “Fiorenza” fountain at the Medici villa of Petraia. The Mannerist grace of the Flemish artist, active in the capital of the Grand Duchy, is reflected in this work, which was most likely executed in Lombardy in the following decades. The Lombard origin of the sculpture may be proposed from the fact that Venus – towards whom Cupid, identifiable by the quiver at his side, gently leans – does not rest her foot upon a vase, as in the Florentine model, but upon a scroll-edged shield bearing the Pallavicino Visconti coat of arms. This is described as follows: 1st and 4th, five points Or, four Gules (alias Azure) (Pallavicino); 2nd and 3rd, Argent, a serpent Azure in pale, crowned Or, devouring a half-length putto proper, fesswise, with arms outstretched (Visconti). At the centre, the gilded partition is marked by a red chequered square.
