11 - GERMANY or ITALY, probably from the second half of the 18th century, modeled after the ancient

GERMANY or ITALY, probably from the second half of the 18th century, modeled after the ancient Modest Venus and Antinous of the Belvedere (now known as Hermes of the Belvedere) Two ivory statuettes H. 41 and 42 cm Restorations to Venus’s ankle and foot; an period-appropriate piece inserted into Antinous’s head Provenance: - Parisian collection, an apartment decorated by Alberto Pinto Related literature: - Francis Haskell, *Taste and the Antique - The Lure of Classical Sculpture 1500–1900*, New Haven and London, Yale University Press, 1981, no. 88, pp. 141–43 and 325–28, figs. 5 and 173; - Edited by Heike Schmidt and Maria Sframeli, *Diafane Passioni: Baroque Ivory from European Courts*, Livorno, Firenze Musei, Sillabe, 2013; - Karin Annette Möller, *Elfenbein Kunstwerke des Barock*, Staatliches Museum Schwerin, Exhibition catalog for the exhibition held March 31–June 4, 2001, Schwerin, Staatliches Museum, 2001. Key Works: - Late 2nd century B.C. – Early 1st century B.C. Medici Venus, marble, 153 cm, Florence, Uffizi Gallery, inv. no. A16. Tribuna - Hadrian’s era, Hermes of the Belvedere (formerly known as Antinous of the Belvedere), white marble, 195 cm, Rome, Vatican Museum, inv. no. 907 This pair of imposing ivory statuettes is inspired by the most famous works of ancient art, the Belvedere Antinous and the Medici Venus. The first, housed in the Vatican Museums in Rome, was first recorded in 1543. It is now considered a depiction of Hermes in his role as a psychopomp. The second is listed in Cardinal Ferdinand de’ Medici’s 1584 inventory before being transported in 1675 to Florence, where it has since taken pride of place in the Tribune of the Uffizi Gallery. These two sculptures have been among the most admired antiquities in Rome since their discovery and were widely disseminated throughout Europe in the following centuries in the form of drawings and prints, casts, bronzes, or small ivory or wooden statuettes, such as the one created by Johannes Sporer (ca. 1720– 1759), which is housed in Florence at the Museo di Casa Martelli (Martelli inv. no. 130). Our two figures may have been created in the second half of the 18th century in Italy, in Rome or Florence, major centers of ivory sculpture production during that period. Italian workshops produced scaled-down versions of large ancient models to satisfy an international clientele, especially visitors on the Grand Tour who were passionate about classical culture. However, these works may also have been produced by a German workshop, such as those in Dresden or Düsseldorf, which in the 18th century also produced numerous miniature versions inspired by antiquity for princely collections and the cultured bourgeoisie. Here, the subjects have been simplified compared to the original models: Venus stands without her dolphin, and Antinous leans against a tree trunk without his drapery, both completely nude. By stripping them of their attributes and using a very smooth polished finish, the sculptor emphasized the characters’ nudity. Presented as a pair, Venus and Antinous represent the masculine and feminine ideals of classical beauty. However, the treatment of the hair, and the facial features reveal the anonymous artist’s desire to depart from classical canons by imbuing his works with a more personal style, making this pair of statuettes unique collector’s items while still embodying the universal nature of classical ideal beauty. CIC dated June 23, 2025