431 - Sleeping hermaphrodite, based on models from Antiquity – late 19th century

Sleeping hermaphrodite, based on models from Antiquity – late 19th century A sculpture in white marble on a Portoro marble base, representing the Sleeping Hermaphroditus, a celebrated theme in classical sculpture depicting the son of Hermes and Aphrodite reclining in an attitude of apparent abandon, his sexual identity revealed to the viewer from another perspective. This work is a modern reinterpretation of one of the most evocative and admired ancient models of the classical tradition. The prototype held in the Louvre Museum is a Roman copy from the Imperial period, traditionally linked to a Greek bronze original attributed to Polycles the Younger, dating from around the mid-2nd century BC. The ancient model was mentioned by Pliny the Elder and rediscovered in Rome at the beginning of the 17th century, quickly becoming a highly prestigious piece among major European collectors. Its history is closely linked to the Borghese Collection and Gian Lorenzo Bernini, who in 1620 created the famous marble mattress on which the figure rests, endowing it with extraordinary naturalism. After its acquisition by Camillo Borghese, the sculpture was moved to France and is now part of the Louvre's collections. The fascination this model has exerted for centuries, from Roman collectors and the Grand Tour to the collections of major European museums, explains the continuous production of replicas and reinterpretations. This version participates in this tradition of rediscovering Antiquity, rendering the celebrated model in a smaller scale and decidedly collector's item. It has been restored. Dimensions: 13 × 42 × 22 cm; base: 5 × 47 × 25 cm.