947 - A Roman bronze statuette depicting Jupiter as the Thunderer, 1st to mid-3rd century A.D.

A Roman bronze statuette depicting Jupiter as the Thunderer, 1st to mid-3rd century A.D. Roman bronze statuette of Jupiter as the Thunderer, modeled after the early Hellenistic statue of Zeus Brontaios by the Greek sculptor Leochares (mid-4th century B.C.). The bearded god with long, curly hair stands in contrapposto, with his right leg as the supporting leg and his left leg slightly shifted backward and outward as the free leg. In his slightly bent, downward-pointing right hand, a separately crafted thunderbolt was once placed in the open palm. With his left hand extended horizontally outward, he held a scepter in the space formed by his closed left hand. Musculature and other anatomical details are rendered with fine, well-proportioned precision. Mounted in a modern style on a stone pedestal with a natural, unpolished surface resembling rock. Beautiful green patina with oxide deposits and incrustations. Height without pedestal: 21.5 cm; with pedestal: 26 cm. Leochares’ statue was brought to Rome in 22 B.C. and placed in the Temple of Jupiter on the Capitoline Hill. This marked the beginning of its influence on numerous works of Roman small-scale sculpture from the Imperial period. CULTURAL HERITAGE! Provenance: From a private French collection. Acquired from Gorny & Mosch, Munich, on June 23, 2010, Auction 189, Lot 14. Previously in a Bavarian family collection since at least the 1970s. Condition: II