Zephyrus and Flora
Statue of Zephyrus and Flora
ca. 1730 (made)
ca. 1730 (made)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
Flora was the Roman goddess of flowers, and the wife of Zephyr, the west wind of Springtime. Zephyr is shown blowing the Spring wind, and the flowers they hold represent the rebirth of nature which comes with the new season. This group and its companion, Apollo Flaying Marsyas (Museum no. A.6-1967), belonged to a series of garden sculptures supplied by Corradini to Augustus the Strong, King of Poland and Elector of Saxony, for his gardens in Dresden. Known to have been in the Easton Neston collection in Lincolnshire at least as early as 1902, the sculpture was perhaps brought to England soon after it was sold at an auction, in Dresden, in 1836.
Corradini was a virtuoso sculptor of marble, and although he was mainly active in the Veneto, also worked in Vienna and Rome. He was particularly renowned for his statues of veiled or partially veiled figures, such as his Modesty of about 1750. This figure and Apollo Flaying Marsyas exemplify his elegant style, rooted in a classical language, but also incorporating a rococo lightness and movement. Such a style was well suited to garden sculpture in the 18th century.
Corradini was a virtuoso sculptor of marble, and although he was mainly active in the Veneto, also worked in Vienna and Rome. He was particularly renowned for his statues of veiled or partially veiled figures, such as his Modesty of about 1750. This figure and Apollo Flaying Marsyas exemplify his elegant style, rooted in a classical language, but also incorporating a rococo lightness and movement. Such a style was well suited to garden sculpture in the 18th century.
Object details
Categories | |
Object type | |
Title | Zephyrus and Flora |
Materials and techniques | Marble |
Brief description | Statue, marble, Zephyrus and Flora, by Antonio Corradini, ca. 1730 |
Physical description | Group, marble. Zephyrus and Flora. |
Dimensions |
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Gallery label | Antonio Corradini (1668–1752)
Zephyr and Flora
About 1719–23
Flora was the Roman goddess of flowers and the wife of Zephyr, the west wind of springtime. This sculpture and the nearby Apollo Flaying Marsyas belonged to a series that Corradini made for Augustus II, King of Poland and Elector of Saxony, for his gardens in Dresden, now Germany. An important patron of the arts, Augustus II collected and commissioned works from artists across Europe.
Venice
Marble
Formerly in Easton Hall, Lincolnshire(2021) |
Object history | Bought from the Old Clock House, Ascot, Berks. |
Historical context | This appeared in a sale at Forter and Son, London, on 7th June 1843. Philip Ward Jackson (Conway Librarian) noted that another group by Corradini 'Truth and Sculpture' from the series is now in the Château de Ferrières en Brie (nr Paris). |
Subjects depicted | |
Summary | Flora was the Roman goddess of flowers, and the wife of Zephyr, the west wind of Springtime. Zephyr is shown blowing the Spring wind, and the flowers they hold represent the rebirth of nature which comes with the new season. This group and its companion, Apollo Flaying Marsyas (Museum no. A.6-1967), belonged to a series of garden sculptures supplied by Corradini to Augustus the Strong, King of Poland and Elector of Saxony, for his gardens in Dresden. Known to have been in the Easton Neston collection in Lincolnshire at least as early as 1902, the sculpture was perhaps brought to England soon after it was sold at an auction, in Dresden, in 1836. Corradini was a virtuoso sculptor of marble, and although he was mainly active in the Veneto, also worked in Vienna and Rome. He was particularly renowned for his statues of veiled or partially veiled figures, such as his Modesty of about 1750. This figure and Apollo Flaying Marsyas exemplify his elegant style, rooted in a classical language, but also incorporating a rococo lightness and movement. Such a style was well suited to garden sculpture in the 18th century. |
Bibliographic references |
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Collection | |
Accession number | A.5-1967 |
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Record created | April 26, 2005 |
Record URL |
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