Bathing Venus from Giambologna's model, 18th century
Alabaster
sculpture: 31 x 12 x 13 cm
This sculpture reproduces a famous "crouching" Venus by Giambologna. The original bronze is preserved in the Bargello National Museum, Florence (inv.62 B). It is a masterpiece by the great Flemish master signed with the initials I.B.F. on the bracelet that surrounds Venus' right arm.
Since it is impossible to venture any type of attribution, we remember that many bronze derivations were produced and documented up to the 18th century and even beyond. Certainly, the aforementioned alabaster sculpture denotes great executive ability and probably dates back to the 18th century, if not to the previous one.
Note the features of the kneeling woman which reveal a careful study of the anatomical details of the female body.
Literature: Beatrice Paolozzi Strozzi, Dimitrios Zikos, Giambologna gli Dei gli Eroi, Giunti ed., Prato, 2006, pp.199-200.