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拍品專文
BUST OF A SMILING FAUN
The youthful exuberance conveyed in this bust exemplifies Massimiliano Soldani Benzi’s mastery of form and material. The beautiful translucent red-brown patina - a typical type of Florentine lacquer - and the dynamic style of the execution, the bold composition and the later cold-working detail all fall within the signature practices of the sculptor: a tour de force of artistic and technical sophistication.
Considered the greatest master of the late Florentine Baroque era, Massimiliano Soldani Benzi (Tuscany, 1656-1740) was sent to Florence at the age of 19 to work with the painter Franceschini (widely known as il Volterrano). In 1678 he left for Rome and studied at the Medici Academy for four years, following which he was sent by Grand Duke Cosimo III to Paris to complete his education with the famous engraver Joseph Roettiers (1635-1703). Despite an invitation from the King of France to stay in his service, Soldani returned to Florence where he was patronised by the Grand Duke, the nobility, and by the Crown Prince Ferdinando, who would go in person to Soldani's workshop and 'chaffed him like a family friend' (Avery, op. cit, p. 79). Towards the end of the 17th century the engraver’s early interest in coins and medals gave way to a fascination in figurative sculpture, and the artist applied his fastidious attention to detail to the understanding of the human form. Inspired by the plethora of Greek and Roman classical sculptures that decorated the streets and ducal collections of Florence, Soldani focused his production on the re-imagining of antique prototypes, imbuing the ancient models with the dramatic energy of the Baroque.
The present bust is exemplary of this exploration and adaptation of classical imagery. The facial features, with the wide-open smile and the softly shaped eyes all closely recall the large-scale antique marble of the Dancing Faun, now housed in the Uffizi Gallery, Florence. A particular favourite of Soldani’s, who describes the work as ‘the most beautiful statue that can be seen’ (Haskell and Penny, op. cit., p. 205), the marble was a notable source of inspiration. He produced several direct bronze copies, including a monumental life-size bronze cast commissioned by the Prince of Liechtenstein. In the present bust Soldani is clearly inspired by the antique, he emphasises the sharp angles of the nose and the arch of the eyebrows through the technique of cold-working, and he imbues a youthful and joyful liveliness to the facial features of the Dancing Faun. He crowns his young satyr with a garland of reeds, likely a reference to the mythology of Pan and his pursuit of Syrinx, thus contrasting the carefree presentation of the bust with the additional gravitas suggested by the mythological association.
This emotive depiction, combining classical references and dramatic narrative composition, embodies the theatricality that captured the attention of 17th century Florence, popularised by earlier artists such as Giambologna and Ferdinando Tacca. In addition, with this bust Soldani rivals his contemporaries in the technical sophistication of his work. The sculptor’s meticulous detailing, right down to the socle - which was almost certainly designed specifically by the granducal Opificio delle pietre dura workshops - elevates the ancient prototype into a luxurious product of the dynamic Baroque tradition.
The youthful exuberance conveyed in this bust exemplifies Massimiliano Soldani Benzi’s mastery of form and material. The beautiful translucent red-brown patina - a typical type of Florentine lacquer - and the dynamic style of the execution, the bold composition and the later cold-working detail all fall within the signature practices of the sculptor: a tour de force of artistic and technical sophistication.
Considered the greatest master of the late Florentine Baroque era, Massimiliano Soldani Benzi (Tuscany, 1656-1740) was sent to Florence at the age of 19 to work with the painter Franceschini (widely known as il Volterrano). In 1678 he left for Rome and studied at the Medici Academy for four years, following which he was sent by Grand Duke Cosimo III to Paris to complete his education with the famous engraver Joseph Roettiers (1635-1703). Despite an invitation from the King of France to stay in his service, Soldani returned to Florence where he was patronised by the Grand Duke, the nobility, and by the Crown Prince Ferdinando, who would go in person to Soldani's workshop and 'chaffed him like a family friend' (Avery, op. cit, p. 79). Towards the end of the 17th century the engraver’s early interest in coins and medals gave way to a fascination in figurative sculpture, and the artist applied his fastidious attention to detail to the understanding of the human form. Inspired by the plethora of Greek and Roman classical sculptures that decorated the streets and ducal collections of Florence, Soldani focused his production on the re-imagining of antique prototypes, imbuing the ancient models with the dramatic energy of the Baroque.
The present bust is exemplary of this exploration and adaptation of classical imagery. The facial features, with the wide-open smile and the softly shaped eyes all closely recall the large-scale antique marble of the Dancing Faun, now housed in the Uffizi Gallery, Florence. A particular favourite of Soldani’s, who describes the work as ‘the most beautiful statue that can be seen’ (Haskell and Penny, op. cit., p. 205), the marble was a notable source of inspiration. He produced several direct bronze copies, including a monumental life-size bronze cast commissioned by the Prince of Liechtenstein. In the present bust Soldani is clearly inspired by the antique, he emphasises the sharp angles of the nose and the arch of the eyebrows through the technique of cold-working, and he imbues a youthful and joyful liveliness to the facial features of the Dancing Faun. He crowns his young satyr with a garland of reeds, likely a reference to the mythology of Pan and his pursuit of Syrinx, thus contrasting the carefree presentation of the bust with the additional gravitas suggested by the mythological association.
This emotive depiction, combining classical references and dramatic narrative composition, embodies the theatricality that captured the attention of 17th century Florence, popularised by earlier artists such as Giambologna and Ferdinando Tacca. In addition, with this bust Soldani rivals his contemporaries in the technical sophistication of his work. The sculptor’s meticulous detailing, right down to the socle - which was almost certainly designed specifically by the granducal Opificio delle pietre dura workshops - elevates the ancient prototype into a luxurious product of the dynamic Baroque tradition.