A Sleeping Nymph

The authorship of this model is given to the revered Medici court sculptor Giambologna. First recorded in a document dated 7 April 1584, inspiration for the composition is likely to have come from multiple sources to which the sculptor would have had access, notably the ancient marble of Ariadne (Vatican Museum, inv. 548), the marble sarcophagus relief of the Discovery of Ariadne (now Blenheim Palace but formerly Palazzo della Valle, Rome), as well as painted sources such as Giorgione and Titian’s reclining nudes.

A conception of subtle eroticism, Giambologna's composition juxtaposes a smooth and elongated body with exquisitely fine details, the carefully relaxed torso complementing the more complex compositional elements of both the drapery and the couch on which the nymph rests. An exceptional example by the artist sold Christie's, New York, 30 January 2024, lot 12 ($5,979,000).