Venus Medici, after the archaeological model, 18th-19th century
Two-color alabaster
sculpture: 42 x 13 x 13 cm
This sculpture is a copy of the Medici Venus, a famous archaeological sculpture preserved in the Uffizi Museum in Florence. The statue was excavated in Rome and it remained at Villa Medici in the city until 1677 when it was transported to Florence and placed in the Tribuna together with two other famous archaeological sculptures, the Knife Grinder and the Wrestlers. It was restored soon after by Ercole Ferrata, a sculptor of Lombard origins who worked in Rome and collaborated with Bernini. Many artists replicated this sculpture, including Massimiliano Soldani Benzi, who created a copy for the princes of Liechtenstein in the 17th century.
This is Grand Tour copy placed on a high sculpted pedestal in neoclassical style.