Bronze Sculptural Group - The Farnese Bull (the Torment Of Dirce) - Rome, 19th Century.

Bronze sculpture group—The Farnese Bull (The Torment of Dirce)—Rome, 19th century.

39.5 x 39.5 x h 54 cm.

Cast and chiseled bronze sculptural group with a brown patina, set on a naturalistic terraced base and a molded plinth featuring a frieze of masks and leaf scrolls.

The group depicts the famous mythological episode of the Torment of Dirce, also known as the Farnese Bull: the brothers Zethus and Amphion, sons of Antiope, tie Dirce to the horns of a wild bull to avenge the wrongs suffered by their mother, while Antiope herself, spear in hand, watches the scene. The bronze composition is a scaled-down version of the famous ancient marble group discovered in the Baths of Caracalla in 1546, which belonged to the Farnese collection and is now housed in the National Archaeological Museum of Naples. The subject, among the most admired and reproduced on the Grand Tour, enjoyed great popularity in 19th-century Roman foundries, which produced numerous bronze reductions for collectors and travelers. The piece presented here stands out for the liveliness of its multi-figure composition, its accurate anatomical rendering, and its naturalistic base populated by animals, in keeping with the finest Roman bronze work of the period.

Condition report: Casting in good condition, with a uniform brown patina. Minimal signs of wear consistent with the period.

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Disclaimer: Renderings: The environmental images are AI-generated for illustrative purposes and may not accurately reflect the actual proportions of the artwork.