Astronomy
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| Artist | Unknown ; Giambologna (French b.1529, d.1608) |
|---|---|
| Title | Astronomy |
| Description | This is a late version of Giambologna's small bronze, dating from c. 1573. The statuette represents a high point in Giambologna's efforts to show a beautiful naked female body from an infinite number of equally perfect angles, i.e. 'equally beautiful from all sides'. The young woman depicted in the statuette is an allegory of Astronomy, as the attributes of a prism, armillary sphere, spirit level, ruler, compasses and plumb line indicate. The woman is also called Venus Urania, which means the Heavenly Venus, which identifies the Greek goddess with this sensuous woman. This version is of much lesser quality than the original bronze casts and the details are smoothened out, giving her an almost modern stylized look. This statue probably comes from the same foundry as the Rape of a Sabine statue, which is most likely an Italian cast, but conceivably French, suggested by the dark red patina on both of the bronzes. |
| Material | bronze (metal)/copper alloy/nonferrous metal/metal/inorganic material/materials (substances) |
| Dimensions | height: 37.5 cm |
| Type | Sculpture |
| Subject | mythological scene |
| Collection | Art Collection ; Torrie Collection |
| Accession Number | EU0658 |