WORKSHOP OF FRANCESCO FANELLI (FL. 1608-?1661), FIRST HALF 17TH CENTURY

Details

A BRONZE GROUP OF A SATYR AND A TORTOISE
WORKSHOP OF FRANCESCO FANELLI (FL. 1608-?1661), FIRST HALF 17TH CENTURY
The seated satyr holding a serpent which bites the tortoise; the interior inscribed in red with the inventory number '272'; dark brown patina with warm brown high points
4 1/8 in. (10.5 cm.) high

Provenance

Purchased by Alfred (1853-1906) or Otto Beit (1865-1930) between 1904 and 1913.
Thence by descent to Lady (Clementine) Beit (1915-2005) by whom donated to the Alfred Beit Foundation in 2005.

Literature

W. Bode, Catalogue of the Collection of Pictures and Bronzes in the Possession of Mr. Otto Beit, London, 1913, p. 115, no. 272, as 'Unknown Venetian artist'.

COMPARATIVE LITERATURE:
J. Pope-Hennessy, 'Some Bronze Statuettes by Francesco Fanelli', reprinted in Essays on Italian Sculpture, New York and London, 1968, pp. 166-171.

Special notice

No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 15% will be added to the buyer's premium which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis.

Lot Essay

The scene depicted here, of a satyr holding a snake to the mouth of a tortoise which it bites, may have an undiscovered allegorical significance, or may simply represent the mischievous satyr wreaking havoc on his fellow creatures of nature. The model is attributed to Francesco Fanelli, court sculptor to Charles I of England, on the basis of the thin, waxy nature of the cast, and stylistic similarities to other models which are firmly attributed to the artist. In particular, the facial type of the satyr with the high, arching brows, somewhat flattened nose and forked goatee beard are all directly comparable to the face of Nessus in Fanelli's Nessus and Deianira (Pope-Hennessy, op. cit., fig. 191).

For a general discussion of Fanelli's work in the Beit collection see the pre-lot text to lot 172.

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