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Sculpture · 19th–20th century
Crouching Venus (Lely Venus)
After the Antique · French, later 19th / early 20th century
Artist After the Antique Medium Patinated bronze Foundry No foundry mark Signature No signature Date Late 19th century Dimensions 11½ inches high Condition Very good condition, brown patina with occasional brassy high points.
Many variants on a crouching Venus figure, often reflecting the goddess surprised at her bath, have been excavated from the Renaissance onwards, and were evidently a prized specimen in the collections of wealthy Romans of the late republic and earlier imperial period. The present sculpture is based on the so-called Lely Venus, a 2nd century AD Roman marble first recorded in the collection of the Gonzaga family, then Dukes of Mantua, in the early 17th century. It was sold to Charles I in 1627, and after his death went to the painter Peter Lely (1618–1680) before returning to the Royal Collection after the Restoration, and is now on loan from the Royal Collection to the British Museum.
The present casting, though unsigned, is of the highest quality, with very delicate features and rich incisions in the mould reflected in the finished bronze.
$1,200