Very fine, large scale full length 19th Century Grand Tour patinated library bronze model reduction of Perseus with the severed head of the gorgon Medusa after the original by Benvenuto Cellini (1500-1571) in the Loggia dei Lanzi in the Piazza della Signoria in Florence. Commissioned by Cosimo de''Medici in 1545 it was completed in 1554. Perseus stands naked except for a sash (inscribed with the sculptor''s name) and winged sandals, triumphant on top of the body of Medusa with her head, crowned with writhing snakes, in his raised hand. As with the original, the statue sits on a square base with four niches in which sit four bronze figures that represent key characters from the story of Perseus – Jupiter, Mercury, Minerva and Danae with Perseus as a child. Rare elegant example with a rich dark patination. Florence, Italy, circa 1880.Based in London, we are dealers in fine decorative antiques from the 18th and 19th centuries. We specialise in this era of enlightenment, neoclassicism and the Grand Tour, with its far reaching influence on style and taste in Britain, Continental Europe and beyond: elegance in the age of Napoleon. Our extensive stock covers all aspects of this period and decorative antiques influenced by the period. We constantly source new, beautiful items and upload to our site regularly. We are first and foremost antique collectors with over thirty years of experience; we only buy what we love and we hope you will too. Additional images can be supplied on request. More items are available on our website http://www.cellantiques.co.uk. We ship worldwide.Height is 96cm (37.8inches)
Width is 24.5cm (9.6inches)
Depth is 24.5cm (9.6inches)