ITALIAN SCHOOL of the end of the 18th century Venus Medici and Apollino Pair of bronzes with brown patina shaded with red H.: 38 and 37.5 cm The antique statue of Apollino, also called Apollo Medici, was mentioned in the Villa Medici in Rome in 1704. As for the Medici Venus, it is one of the most admired and copied antique marbles from the XVII century. The two antiques share a common destiny. Installed side by side in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, they were copied and distributed as a pair. In 1800, they were sent to Palermo to escape Napoleon's troops. Although the Medici Venus was finally seized and admired in Marseille and then in Paris, where it remained from 1803 to 1815, it was then returned to the Apollino in Florence. While our bronze of the Medici Venus is a faithful copy of the ancient version, the Apollino is a reinterpretation. These two statuettes are part of the Italian production of small bronzes for amateurs and travelers of the "Grand Tour" at the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century. Expert: Cabinet Sculpture et Collection