£60,000
Five Centuries: Furniture, Paintings & Works of Art | 689
Auction: Five Centuries: Furniture, Paintings & Works of Art
carved marble, the figure shown in resting contrapposto, with the weight placed on the left leg, the torso with a subtle twist to further define the well-muscled pectorals and abdomen, the remnant of a wooden stump is seen on the upper right leg
Provenance:
Northern European collection, acquired circa late 1970s - early 1980s.
Subsequently in a United Kingdom private collection, acquired on the Milanese art market.
Note:
This Roman form is heavily influenced by the work of the Greek sculptor in bronze Polykleitos (fl. 5th century B.C.). Specifically, this piece takes its inspiration from the Doryphoros, one of the best-known Greek sculptures of Classical antiquity, depicting a solidly built standing warrior, bearing a spear balanced on his left shoulder. The lost bronze original was cast in c. 440 B.C., but it is today known only from later (mostly Roman) marble copies such as the present example.