THE PRESENT STATUETTE IS A COPY OF THE CELEBRATED A.D. 117-38 MARBLE OF ANTINOUS AS OSIRIS, ORIGINALLY FROM HADRIAN'S VILLA AND NOW IN THE VATICAN MUSEO GREGORIANO EGIZIO (INV. 22795). ANTINOUS, THE HANDSOME FAVOURITE OF THE EMPEROR HADRIAN, DIED BY DROWNING IN THE NILE. IT IS THIS ASSOCIATION WITH EGYPT WHICH LED HADRIAN TO ESTABLISH A CULT AND IMAGERY DEDICATED TO ANTINOUS' MEMORY.
THOMAS HOPE, THE CELEBRATED COLLECTOR OF ANTIQUITIES, DESIGNED AN EGYPTIAN ROOM FOR HIS MANSION/MUSEUM IN DUCHESS STREET. AN ENGRAVING OF THIS ROOM IN HOPE'S BOOK ON DECORATION (OP. CIT.) SHOWS THAT A PAIR OF ANTINOUS STATUETTES STOOD ON A SIDE TABLE, THEIR DIMENSIONS APPEAR TO CORRESPOND CLOSELY TO THE PRESENT EXAMPLE, BUT THEY REMAIN AT PRESENT UNTRACED.
THE INCLUSION OF THE ANTINOUS-OSIRIS MODEL IN HOPE'S EGYPTIAN ROOM TESTIFIES TO THE IMPORTANCE OF THE PROTOTYPE DURING THE 18TH AND EARLY 19TH CENTURIES. DRAWINGS AND ENGRAVINGS BY ARTISTS WORKING IN ROME IN THIS PERIOD OFTEN INCLUDE THE STATUE, FOR INSTANCE H. ROBERT'S DRAWING OF ANTIQUES IN THE CAPITOL AND G. D. CAMPIGLIA'S ENGRAVING OF THE SAME SUBJECT (CLODION, OP. CIT.). CLODION ALSO STUDIED THE FIGURE IN ROME AND PRODUCED A SMALL TERRACOTTA OF THE ANTINOUS, NOW IN A PRIVATE COLLECTION (CLODION, OP. CIT.). HOPE'S INTEREST IN THE ANTINOUS AND IN THE ANTIQUE WORLD INTRODUCED THESE FRENCH TRENDS TO ENGLAND, AND GALVANISED THE ADMIRATION FOR SUCH CELEBRATED ANTIQUITIES IN BRITAIN.