LARGE GRAND TOUR ITALIAN BRONZE SCULPTURE OF MERCURY BY RENOWNED SCULPTOR BENEDETTO BOSCHETTI, ROME, MID-19TH CENTURY, AFTER GIAMBOLGNA

A Large “GRAND TOUR ” sculpture signed to the rim of the base is by the famous 19th century sculptor, Benedetto Boschetti. Little is known about his life, but he is known to have worked out of his workshops in the centre of Rome where he produced a large number of classically inspired objects ranging from bronzes to tabletops and mosaics. Active circa 1820-1870, the Boschetti workshop exhibited at the Crystal Palace Exhibition in 1851. Boschetti fed the growing demand for high quality works of art with an antique theme created by an influx of grand tourists, many of whom were English.

The messenger of the gods and patron of commerce and trading, winged Mercury, speeds through the skies carrying the caduceus that symbolizes both immunity during war and the practice of medicine. Archaeological evidence from Pompeii suggests that Mercury was among the most popular of Roman gods. The god of commerce was depicted on two early bronze coins of the Roman Republic.

The original sculpture by Giambologna (G.Bologna), worked in the Medici court in Florence in 1580. This beautiful reproduction is cast by the superior lost wax casting process and mounted on a fine marble base.

Boschetti was renowned for the exceptional quality of its copies after the ‘Antique’, mainly in marble and bronze. This large “Grand Tour” sculpture is in excellent condition and would be beautiful in a garden or in a home.