Plaster cast, painted plaster, after the unfinished marble the Rebellious Slave, by Michelangelo in Florence, Italy, in about 1513 and now in the Musée du Louvre, Paris. Cast by Monsieur Toquière, in Paris, in about 1863.

Purchased from Monsieur Toquiere in 1863 (sum unrecorded)

One of a series of six "slaves" executed by Michelangelo for the tomb of Pope Julius II (Pope 1503-13), of which two are now in the Louvre and four are in the Accademia di Belle Arti in Florence. This figure, together with the Dying Slave (V&A cast museum no. 1863-15), was executed for the second project (1513) for the tomb. In this scheme, Michelangelo planned to place them on either side of the Moses (V&A cast museum no. 1858-278). The project was never completed in this form. Around 1546, Michelangelo gave these two statues to Ruberto Strozzi, a Florentine exile in Lyon, who in turn presented them to King Francois I of France. They were given by King Francois I to Conétable Anne de Montmorency and thereafter passed through the hands of several members of the Montmorency and Richelieu families. In 1794, the Rebellious and Dying Slaves were purchased for the French state, and have been preserved in the Musée du Louvre ever since.

REPRO.1863-16