Early 18th-century Italian school, after Massimiliano Soldan - Lot 443

Lot 443
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8000 - 12000 EUR
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Early 18th-century Italian school, after Massimiliano Soldan - Lot 443
Early 18th-century Italian school, after Massimiliano Soldani Benzi (1656 - 1740) Bust of a young man Bronze sculpture with dark brown patina Total height: 41 cm Provenance: Former collection of Monsieur Erik Le Caruyer De Beauvais Our bust of a young man is close to one of the two models, the other being the faun, of the pair in the collections of Schloss Weissenstein, Pommersfelden, which has been attributed to Massimiliano Soldani-Benzi (1656-1740). Considered the great Florentine Baroque master, Massimiliano Soldani Benzi (1656-1740) was sent to Florence at the age of 19 to work with the painter Franceschini (il Volterrano). In 1678, he left for Rome, where he studied at the Medici for four years, and was subsequently sent by Grand Duke Cosimo III to Paris to further his education with the famous engraver Joseph Roettiers (1635-1703). He returned to Florence in 1682 and became director of the Mint. This training had a considerable influence on the artist's career. He soon excelled in the creation of medals and won a number of commissions. Among Soldani-Benzi's most important clients were the Medici family family, Pope Innocent XI, Louis XIV and Prince Johann Adam I of Liechtenstein (1657-1712). The latter became Soldani-Benzi's principal patron, receiving his first commissions around 1694. For thirteen years, he maintained a rich correspondence with the Prince and designed numerous sculptures, mixing reinterpretations of ancient and modern works with personal inspiration to satisfy the Prince's enlightened taste. Comparative bibliography: H. R. Weihrauch, K. Lankheit, Florentiner Barockplastik, in Pantheon, November-December 1963, pp. 338-39, figs. 3-4
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