Saint Peter - Entourage De Jean De Boulogne Said Giambologna (douai, 1529 – Florence, 1608)

"Saint Peter"
Entourage de Jean de Boulogne said Giambologna
(Douai, 1529 – Florence, 1608)
Bronze and terracotta sculpture
16th century
H. 85 x width. 35 x depth 30 (cm.)
Very good condition

Rare late-Renaissance bronze sculpture, entirely modeled and finished in patinated terracotta. It depicts a highly hieratic image of St. Peter standing and worked in the round with impressive realism. The Author creates a work of extreme artistic level, managing to highlight a perfect combination of great strength and unsurpassed stylistic elegance. The dark and severe face of the Saint touches the highest points of sculptural art and stands out decisively from the infinite folds of his robes, which amaze with their lightness and very fine movement. The work, which embodies all the characteristics of the most representative Mannerist sculpture, is similar to the excellent production of the famous Flemish sculptor Jean de Boulogne, Italianized as "Giambologna" (Douai, 1529 – Florence, 1608) and was certainly created by an artist of his circle. The sculpture, missing the right arm, is in very good condition with a very solid structure thanks to its bronze parts.
Giambologna, pseudonym of Jean de Boulogne, (Douai, 1529 – Florence, 13 August 1608) was a Flemish sculptor active particularly in Florence.
Born in Flanders (now in France), in 1529, still very young, in 1550 he arrived in Rome to study ancient statues and the works of the moderns of the time, in particular those of Michelangelo. Giambologna remained in Rome for only a couple of years, spent largely practicing making numerous terracotta and wax models, always maintaining the relationship with the great Florentine Master in his language. He perhaps never met Michelangelo in person, but his art impressed him to the point of pushing him to emulate and then surpass his models. Buonarroti's immense art always constituted the benchmark against which to measure oneself but without limiting oneself to passive imitation. In his works there is a strong propensity for the dynamism of figures clearly inspired by Michelangelo, but Giambologna became the most important mannerist sculptor in Florence for the originality of his production, made up of large and small marble and bronze statues. His works were able to conquer the taste and appreciation of demanding clients and great connoisseurs, such as those gathered around the Florentine Medici court.