Pietro da Barga

(1588)

After

Bronze transparent reddish patina; 37x10x10 cm.

Pietro Simoni da Barga was the court sculptor of Cardinal Ferdinando de' Medici and created a series of bronze sculptures for his prestigious clients, often inspired by archaeological originals and more. About thirty of his works are now preserved in the Museo Nazionale del Bargello in Florence. These bronzes generally have an intense patina, often enriched with greenish traces, imitating the archaeological patina. In the Renaissance, in fact, there was a tendency to emulate ancient works to the point of being confused with them. Our Satyr belongs to this group preserved in the Bargello. It has a green patina with traces of fire gilding. A mutilated copy of the left hand is known in the Galleria Franchetti at Ca' d'Oro, Venice, while a few other replicas are found in other museums. The original is evidently the Bargello statuette, but the other copies, dating between the 17th and 18th centuries, are nevertheless valuable derivations. Ours in particular has a convincing and lively modeling, supported by a splendid transparent reddish patina, typical of ancient Tuscan productions, on darker traces. Furthermore, the bronze appears to be drummed to create more "movement" on the skin of the sculpture, a precious characteristic often found on truly ancient castings.