"sleeping Ariadne," Based On The Ancient Roman Painting In The Vatican, Copied By Le Primatice For Francis I

Bronze sculpture with a nuanced brown patina, *"Sleeping Ariadne"*, based on an ancient model, on a white marble and gilded bronze base, 19th century. This bronze is inspired by a Roman marble sculpture now housed in the Vatican, which was discovered in the late 15th or very early 16th century. It was purchased by Pope Julius II, who placed it in the Belvedere Palace in Rome. A few years later, King Francis I asked Primaticcio to travel to Rome to acquire antiquities to decorate the Château de Fontainebleau; since he was unable to make all the acquisitions he desired, he created casts to copy them once he returned to France. Primatice’s *Sleeping Ariadne* is still preserved today at the Château de Fontainebleau. This sculpture has fascinated people since its discovery and has inspired numerous sculptors—sometimes at the request of world leaders such as Louis XIV, who commissioned a copy from Corneille Van Clève for the gardens of Versailles, where it can be admired in the Parterre du Midi at the top of the staircase leading down to theOrangerie. 
The marble sculpture in the Vatican, likely inspired by a Hellenistic bronze from the School of Pergamon dating to the 2nd century B.C., depicts the daughter of Minos, King of Crete, who, in love with Theseus, gave him the thread that allowed him to escape the labyrinth after slaying the Minotaur. He abandoned Ariadne on a deserted island while she was sleeping. Dionysus rescued her there, fell in love with her, and married her...
Our 19th-century bronze is beautifully crafted, comparable to the work of the greatest foundry masters of the era, such as Barbedienne, and—a rare feature—it stands on an imposing base of marble and gilded bronze, further enhancing its aura.
In good condition, with a slight crack in the marble on one side of the base that does not affect the structure (visible in the photos)
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