Description

GRAND TOUR Italian School Pair of Busts, "Homer" & "Pseudo-Seneca", after Antiquity Patinated bronze mounted on solid marble plinths | cast by Chiurazzi, Naples circa 1880 | each sealed with foundry cachet on shoulder Item # 304KUV24Y A rare and exciting pair of Grand Tour busts after Antiquity, each is executed in bronze and finished in a Herculaneum black patina with hints of verde in the underlying surface by the foundry of J. Chiurazzi of Naples. Foundry seals are located on their shoulders verso. The first is a fine cast of Homer after the marble bust of Antiquity formerly in the Farnese collection and currently in the permanent collection of the National Archaeological Museum of Naples. It depicts the aged Greek poet and author of the Illiad and the Odyssey as a bearded man dressed in a tunic with a ribbon holding back his hair while concerned wrinkles line his forehead. His eyes are empty and devoid of anything, the absence alluding to his blindness while the sheer intensity of his spirit overwhelms the viewer. His simple garment are a reminder of his poverty. The second bust known as "Pseudo Seneca" is cast after the original bust of antiquity found in 1754 at Herculaneum in the Villa of the Papyri, the home of Lucius Calpurnius Piso Caesoninus, father-in-law of Julius Caesar. The estate was buried in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. The bust had been thought to be an image of Lucius Annaeus Seneca - Seneca the Younger - the famous Stoic philosopher and fabulously wealthy advisor to Nero. However, after a titled bust of Seneca was discovered with very different features, scholars now have various opinions on the attribution of the bust with most believing it to be an image of Hesiod or Aristophanes, while some also attribute it to Aesop, Apollonius of Rhodes, or Callimachus. The sculptor must have been very famous and the image of lasting quality, as forty copies of the bust made in antiquity have been found. It is incredibly dramatic, the emmaciated man looking forward with elements of sorrow, determination and haggard exhaustion as his unkempt hair furls chaotically around his forehead. Importantly, the present example retains its original inlaid marble eyes, a powerful counterpoint to "Homer". As expected in the early examples from the Chiurazzi foundry, the chiseling is exceedingly good and leaves the viewer with equal portions of sorrow and awe. The withered, impoverished and defeated images before the viewer exist in contradiction with the powerhouse of thought and longevity of influence these two figures were to represent. They represent a rare and exciting selection for the carefully coordinated library or study. *Please note, these busts are incredibly heavy, each weighing in at approximately 325 lbs each. Plans should be made to have professional assistance to unpack and move them into place upon receipt. Measurements: 42" H x 11 1/4" D x 14 1/4" W Condition Report: Trace wear to the original patina throughout, particularly to the relief: raised edges of hair, noses, cheeks, etc. Original marble plinths each with extensive chipping throughout. An incredibly fine presentation, ready to place. About silla | antiques & art Established in 2009, we have available in our 9000 square foot brick-and-mortar gallery an ever-changing selection of carefully curated and catalogued furniture, decorative arts, paintings, sculpture and estate jewelry. Our company has long specialized in sculpture circa 1860 through 1930 and as such the gallery always has a very large collection of exceptional European and American sculpture available on display. As stewards of these incredibly beautiful and timeless pieces of history, we take our role very seriously with a "light-touch" approach to restoration and conservation. All objects are guaranteed to be exactly as catalogued and also to arrive exactly as shown. The gallery is located at 117 W Burd Street in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania and is open by appointment only. We welcome your visit and would love to meet with you at the shop. For clients located outside of the area, we are always available to discuss items by video conferencing or by phone. FREIGHT SHIPMENTS We offer economical and speedy freight service for most locations in the lower 48 States via the major LTL freight carriers. Delivery is generally 5-10 business days after packing is complete for the East Coast and 15-20 business days after packing is complete for the West Coast. Rush service is available so just contact us for a quote if there is a project deadline. The Process: The item is professionally packaged by our in-house team, palletized and shipped on a tractor trailer. Packing happens on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays so if your purchase comes through on a Wednesday, it may not be packed until the following Tuesday depending on our packing schedule. We release the palletized shipment to the LTL freight firm and upload tracking information to your order Once the freight has made it to the terminal nearest to your home, the dispatch team will notify the buyer and schedule a delivery day. The buyer is then required to make the necessary arrangements to receive and inspect the goods. Some freight firms will offer a delivery window while others will require the buyer or a representative for the buyer to be available the entire day. Please note, drivers are never allowed to call the buyer to update them on an expected delivery time, though it may be possible for the buyer to call the terminal and get a rough idea on updated timing throughout the day. On delivery day, the tractor trailer will arrive at the residence and the truck driver will lower the palletized shipment to the nearest curb with a lift-gate where the buyer will then be responsible for bringing it into the home, unpacking and disposing of the packing materials. If you require a higher level of service (i.e brought up the driveway and into the garage, brought into the entryway of the home, etc.) just contact us for a quote.