A BRONZE FIGURE OF MATILDA, COUNTESS OF TUSCANY

WORKSHOP OF GIANLORENZO BERNINI (1598-1680), 17TH CENTURY

Details

A BRONZE FIGURE OF MATILDA, COUNTESS OF TUSCANY
Workshop of Gianlorenzo Bernini (1598-1680), 17th century
On an integrally cast rectangular plinth.
Dark brown patina with warm chocolate brown high points; minor crack to right forearm.
15 3/8 in. (39.1 cm.) high

Literature

COMPARATIVE LITERATURE:
A. Muñoz, Alcune opere sconosciute del Bernini, Arte, XX, 1917, pp. 185-94.
R. Wittkower, Gian Lorenzo Bernini - The Sculptor of the Roman Baroque, London, 1981, pp. 200-202, pl 62, figs. 38-40.
C. Avery, Bernini - Genius of the Baroque, London, 1997, p. 76, fig. 82.

Sale room notice

The estimate on this lot should read ¨5 - 8,000.

Lot Essay

The present piece is one of a number of small bronzes of the same size representing Countess Matilda of Tuscany (Muñoz, loc. cit.). They are related to the monumental marble figure of the Countess on her tomb in St. Peter's, which was commissioned from Bernini in 1633, and complete in 1638 (Wittkower, loc. cit.). It is generally agreed that these bronzes are not copied from the tomb, but instead record the appearance of a now lost terracotta modello. The Countess Matilda, who lived from 1046 to 1115, and was originally interred in Mantua, was a great benefactress of the Holy See, which explains the fact that she is represented holding the papal tiara.

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