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Lot Essay
When the present bronze model of a Birdcatcher was exhibited in the seminal exhibition of Giambologna's work in 1978 (London, loc. cit.) and later featured in his monograph on the artist (Avery, 1987, loc. cit.), Dr Charles Avery suggested that it was by Antoni Susini or a nothern associate and dating from around 1600. In the exhibition catalogue Avery discussed the two variants of this model categorising them as Types 1 and 2; where the former strides forward on his right leg and raises his left arm, and the latter, of which this is an example, strides forward on his left leg and raises his right arm.
The Type 1 bronzes are certainly the prototypes for this model and one is seen listed in the 1609 inventory of the inheritance of Lorenzo Salviati, whose father Jacopo was a patron of Giambologna's. It appears in the list described as '1086 Un villano di bronzo con un frugnolo… di mano del deto'(a pasantt made o n bronze with a lanten from the hand of the aforesaid [ie Susini]). Although Giambologna conceived the model, as an entry in Baldinucci's inventory of his works testifies, the latter statement is of particular interest as 'del detto' confirms Antonio Susini as the author of the Salviati bronze.
The bronze offered here was the only example of the Type 2 model in the 1978 Giambologna exhibition and it is seemingly one of the few surviving early casts. The model was unquestionably conceived as a pendant for the Type 1 model and relates most closely to another bronze in the same exhibition that is currently in the Detroit Institute of Art, catalogued as being by Antonio Susini (London, op. cit. no. 133 and Darr, loc. cit.). The Detroit bronze is slightly taller than the present lot primarily because the left hand is held higher than the one seen here, however, from head to toe, the bronzes are of very similar heights and have distinctively similar architectural bases. While the Detroit bronze bears more of the trademarks common to Susini's works, the looser rendition of the drapery and less worked surface of the present bronze suggest that it was made by an artist from Giambologna's and Susini's circle that was interpreting their original conception.
The Type 1 bronzes are certainly the prototypes for this model and one is seen listed in the 1609 inventory of the inheritance of Lorenzo Salviati, whose father Jacopo was a patron of Giambologna's. It appears in the list described as '1086 Un villano di bronzo con un frugnolo… di mano del deto'(a pasantt made o n bronze with a lanten from the hand of the aforesaid [ie Susini]). Although Giambologna conceived the model, as an entry in Baldinucci's inventory of his works testifies, the latter statement is of particular interest as 'del detto' confirms Antonio Susini as the author of the Salviati bronze.
The bronze offered here was the only example of the Type 2 model in the 1978 Giambologna exhibition and it is seemingly one of the few surviving early casts. The model was unquestionably conceived as a pendant for the Type 1 model and relates most closely to another bronze in the same exhibition that is currently in the Detroit Institute of Art, catalogued as being by Antonio Susini (London, op. cit. no. 133 and Darr, loc. cit.). The Detroit bronze is slightly taller than the present lot primarily because the left hand is held higher than the one seen here, however, from head to toe, the bronzes are of very similar heights and have distinctively similar architectural bases. While the Detroit bronze bears more of the trademarks common to Susini's works, the looser rendition of the drapery and less worked surface of the present bronze suggest that it was made by an artist from Giambologna's and Susini's circle that was interpreting their original conception.