Description
Italian sculptor (17th-18th century) – Triton playing a conch shell.
Full-length figure in patinated bronze on a rocaille carved and gilded wood base.
The triton is depicted standing in a dynamic pose, in the act of blowing a marine conch shell. The bronze casting is of quality, with careful rendering of the anatomy and decorative details. The carved wood base, decorated with rocaille motifs and gilded with gold leaf, completes the composition and gives the ensemble the ornamental character typical of Italian production between the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Objects of this type were intended to furnish studies, reception rooms and libraries of cultivated patrons, where the mythological subject served as a reference to the classical tradition and antiquity.
Condition report: Generally good state of conservation. The bronze patina shows natural oxidation consistent with age. The gilded wood base presents wear and signs of age to the gilding.
