Zephyr and Flora
Statue
ca. 1719-23 (made)
ca. 1719-23 (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. Another group by Corradini fro the series, 'Truth and Sculpture', is now in the Château de Ferrières en Brie (near Paris).
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 | Zephyr and Flora |
| Materials and techniques | Marble |
| Brief description | Statue, marble, Zephyr and Flora, by Antonio Corradini, ca. 1719-23 |
| Physical description | Group, marble. Zephyrus and Flora. |
| Dimensions |
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| Gallery label |
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| Object history | 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. They were sold in 1836 and brought to England shortly after. The two groups were subsequently sold at auction by Foster & Son in London on 7th June 1843 (cat. no. 34 and 35). The sculptures reappeared in the gardens of Easton Hall, Lincolnshire, in 1902 (Country Life Illustrated, 25th January 1902, p. 116). The house was damaged during the Second World War and pulled down in 1951, while the garden was abandoned. Around those years, the sculptures were rediscovered by the art dealer Ralph Cox, who, at the time, did not know by whom they had been carved. He then sold them to Mallets of Bourdon House. The groups were finally purchased by the V&A in 1967 from The Clock House, Ascot. |
| 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. Another group by Corradini fro the series, 'Truth and Sculpture', is now in the Château de Ferrières en Brie (near Paris). 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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