The Sculptor

This work is inspired by Bernini's marble statue of the same subject which stands in the Vatican.

Although some believe it to have been cast after a modello by Bernini, it is more likely to be the work of a later sculptor, such as the Florentine Giovanni Battista Foggini who studied in Rome between 1673 and 1676.

There are a number of notable differences between this work and the marble Bernini statue which result in a less monumental image. This suggests the statue may have been intended for a less grand purpose, perhaps as a diplomatic gift.

How it was made

This bronze sculpture was cast in several pieces. If you look carefully you can see joins and rivets (for example, by the tail) where these pieces were fitted together. The whole is mounted on a mahogany pedestal and fixed from the back legs by means of solid extensions.