FEATURES ARCHIVE

The July auction of 500 Years Decorative Arts Europe at Christie’s King Street presents a fantastic opportunity to acquire rare and important Baroque bronzes. A style characterised by dynamic movement and high emotion, the development of Baroque art was facilitated by the patronage of the Roman Catholic Church and the vision of geniuses such as Gianlorenzo Bernini from the 17th century onwards. Through a number of high profile exhibitions, interest in Baroque sculpture has been reinvigorated and now is the ideal time to acquire these bold, powerful and dynamic pieces.

One of the jewels offered in July is a bronze equestrian model of Philip V of Spain. Attributed to the important Neapolitan sculptor, Lorenzo Vaccaro, this sculpture is a new discovery and seemingly one of only three known casts in existence. The prime version of this composition, now in the Prado, Madrid, was formerly owned by the Duke of Popoli, who later sent it to his King in Spain. It is a reduction of a monument executed by Vaccaro in 1705 which formerly stood in the piazza del Gesu Nuovo, Naples, but which was destroyed by Austrian troops shortly after its creation. Vaccaro was renowned for creating works for the church and important private patrons so it is intriguing to wonder which king or nobleman was the original recipient of the bronze now being offered.

This beautifully executed bronze figure of Eros, inspired by the work of Jacques-François-Joseph Saly, is virtually identical in detail, size, facture and finish, to another example in the Louvre. Saly trained in Paris with Guillaume Coustou before studying at the Academie de France in Rome from 1740 to 1748. Saly’s work is highly significant and his drawings, for example, became hugely influential among Neoclassical sculptors of the 18th and 19th centuries. Recent exhibitions in the Palacio Real de Madrid, the Louvre, the Getty and Metropolitan as well as ongoing ones at the Wallace Collection demonstrate how current artistic collecting trends are moving towards bold, yet emotive, Baroque sculptures.

Time to spare?
Experience a superb modern-built collection of Renaissance and Baroque Bronzes at The Wallace Collection: Beauty and Power: Renaissance and Baroque Bronzes from the Peter Marino Collection through 25 July at Hetford House, Manchester Square, London W1U 3BN.