Lot 78
78
A BRONZE GROUP OF APOLLO AND DAPHNE
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A BRONZE GROUP OF APOLLO AND DAPHNE

AFTER GIANLORENZO BERNINI, ITALIAN, CIRCA 1722

Details
A BRONZE GROUP OF APOLLO AND DAPHNE
AFTER GIANLORENZO BERNINI, ITALIAN, CIRCA 1722
Daphne depicted transforming into a laurel tree with Apollo in pursuit, on an integrally cast naturalistic base; minor losses; warm medium brown patina
34½ in. (87.6 cm.) high
Provenance
One of the 13 bronzes purchased by Thomas, 1st Earl of Macclesfield, 15 July 1723 for a total of £300.
Thence by descent at Shirburn Castle.
Literature
T. P. Connor, 'The fruits of a Grand Tour - Edward Wright and Lord Parker in Italy, 1720-22', in Apollo, July 1998, pp. 23-30.
COMPARATIVE LITERATURE:
R. Wittkower, Gian Lorenzo Bernini - The Sculptor of the Roman Baroque, London, 1955, pp. 183-184, no. 18, fig. 14.
Special notice
No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 17.5% will be added to the buyer's premium, which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis.

Lot Essay

The unveiling of the marble group of Apollo and Daphne in 1625 caused a sensation, and created a European celebrity of its creator, Gianlorenzo Bernini. The scene is derived from Ovid's Metamorphosis which describes how Apollo, struck by one of Cupid's arrows, pursues Daphne, the daughter of a river god. Fleeing from the young god, she tires and prays to her father to save her. Bernini has chosen the most dramatic moment, when Daphne is transformed by her father into a laurel tree, the bark snaking up to encase her legs and the leaves sprouting from her hair and fingertips.

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