18th century Venus de’ Medici Bronze Bust
Price:22000 SEK1958 EUR2112 USDChange Currency
Dimensions: Height 33 cm (13 inches) x Width 16 cm (7 inches) x Depth 10 cm (4 inches)
An 18th century Venus de’ Medici bronze bust, mounted on a later 19th century marble base. It has a beautiful rich slightly worn dark brown patina. Venus turning her head to the right looking a little downwards and draped in a Roman toga. Possibly a Grand Tour Souvenir brought home a long time ago from Italy.
The height of the bronze is 19cm. Depth 9cm. Width 16cm. Height with marble base 34cm. Depth of marble base 10cm.
The original Venus de' Medici or Medici Venus is a tall Hellenistic marble sculpture depicting the Greek goddess of love Aphrodite. It is from the 1st-century BC. It has become one of the navigation points by which the progress of the Western classical tradition is traced, the references to it outline the changes of taste and the process of classical scholarship. It is housed in the Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy.
The origin of the Venus is undocumented. It was published in the collection at the Villa Medici, Rome, in 1638 but it was already known by 1559.
The Medici Venus is one of the most-copied and influential antiquities. The original is a full figure sculpture and whereas ours is a bust which is a bit unusual being made in bronze. It is more common to find the busts made in marble.