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Lot Essay
The model for the Woman Bathing, or Kneeling Venus, was one of Giambologna’s most celebrated compositions, which he developed in different variations and was widely reproduced including versions by his most talented pupil, Antonio Susini. The woman, possibly Venus is kneeling to dry herself in a complicated pose known as a figura serpentinata, an elegant upwardly spiraling form. This elaborate position, so typical of Giambologna, would allow the viewer to examine the sculpture from all sides and for every angle to be both beautiful and engaging.
A unique signed example can be found in the Museo del Bargello which Avery dates to 1565-66 (Avery, op cit., p. 4). Originally in the collection of Ferdinand de’Medici, and documented in the collection as early as 1584 and already exhibited in the Uffizi’s Tribuna by 1589, it is initialed on a bracelet around the figure's arm. The present version, illustrated on the cover of Michael Hall’s iconic 1998 exhibition in New York, perfectly illustrates both the original genius of Giambologna’s design and the Susini workshop’s brilliantly executed bronzes.
A unique signed example can be found in the Museo del Bargello which Avery dates to 1565-66 (Avery, op cit., p. 4). Originally in the collection of Ferdinand de’Medici, and documented in the collection as early as 1584 and already exhibited in the Uffizi’s Tribuna by 1589, it is initialed on a bracelet around the figure's arm. The present version, illustrated on the cover of Michael Hall’s iconic 1998 exhibition in New York, perfectly illustrates both the original genius of Giambologna’s design and the Susini workshop’s brilliantly executed bronzes.