GRAND TOUR
Rome, circa 1872

Ludovisi Mars, After the Antique

Sand-cast bronze with a burnished and lacquered patination
Cold-stamped verso E. GUTTKORN HOPFGARTEN ROMA 1872

17" H x 11 1/2" W x 7 1/2" D

A finely cast bronze reduction after the celebrated Ludovisi Ares of Antiquity, it is a picture of Love and War with the god of war seated in a moment of repose. The figure is shown nude save for a draped mantle gathered at the hips and a chaste placement of a grape leaf, his body turned subtly in contrapposto as he rests upon a rocky support. His shield is staged beside him, his helmet under foot and his sword held loosely in his hand while his face is one of stoic contemplation. At his feet, the small figure of Eros introduces a quiet counterpoint to the martial symbolism, underscoring the classical theme of restrained power.

This model derives from the ancient marble formerly in the Ludovisi collection and now preserved in the National Roman Museum at the Palazzo Massimo alle Terme. The antique sculpture is generally dated to the Roman period, after a Greek original of the fourth century B.C. The presence of Eros is traditionally understood to be a later addition, likely introduced during an early modern restoration.

The present bronze displays careful attention to surface and anatomy with crisp chisel work throughout the hair, facial features and musculature. The soft filing and cross-hatching marks of the cisileur laboriously working the bronze remain visible throughout on almost every visible surface, every casting flaw chased out to achieve the soft luster of the present surface. Because the sculpture was intended to be left without a chemical or polychromed patina, being finished only in a burnished gilt lacquer, special attention needed to be given to ensure the surface was without flaw as that form of patination is unforgiving. The result is sharp and crisp - a very fine acquisition.

Condition Report:
Minor wear to patina. Ready to place.

ref. 512NBH10A