Based on Gian Lorenzo Bernini; early 17th century.

Based on a work by GIAN LORENZO BERNINI (Naples, 1598 – Rome, 1680). Rome, early 17th century.
“Saint Bibiana.”
Patinated bronze.
This work was previously auctioned at Sotheby’s.
This work was attributed to the artist himself.
Measurements: 48 x 20 x 14 cm.
A bronze reduction of the famous sculpture of Saint Bibiana, conceived by Gian Lorenzo Bernini for the Roman church dedicated to the saint and executed in marble between 1624 and 1626. This version translates the monumentality and expressive intensity of the original to a more intimate scale, rendering in bronze one of the most distinctive religious figures of the early Roman Baroque.
The saint stands upright on a circular base, clad in classically inspired garments whose folds cling to the body and define her anatomy with a combination of naturalism and elegance. Her right arm is raised, while her hand holds the folds of her tunic. The treatment of the clothing and the saint’s pose reflect Bernini’s interest in integrating bodily expressiveness, movement, and religious meaning into a unified sculptural conception. The original sculpture was designed and modeled by Bernini, although its actual execution was carried out under the direction of Giovanni Antonio Mari. Intended for the altar of the Church of Santa Bibiana in Rome, the work stands as one of the early milestones of the Baroque revival. Bernini transformed the depiction of the saint into a presence of intense immediacy, capable of combining the figure’s serenity with the emotional power of martyrdom.
Bronze reductions of Bernini’s sculptural models are particularly interesting because they allow us to study how his monumental compositions were adapted for the realm of private devotion and collecting. The Saint Bibiana belongs to a particularly rare category within the master’s oeuvre, as his religious works in bronze are less common than his mythological models and his large-scale marble commissions. The rarity of these versions is illustrated by the few examples documented on the international market. A bronze of similar dimensions was auctioned at Christie’s New York on June 2, 1993, lot 221, where it was cataloged as a work by Bernini himself. Another example, approximately 48.5 cm tall, appeared at Drouot in Paris on December 9, 1994, lot 52. The present piece, previously auctioned at Sotheby’s, is part of this small group of known versions.
Philippe Malgouyres’ studies on Bernini’s sculpture and models have highlighted the importance of high-quality terracottas in the transmission of his compositions, some of which were modeled after the original marble works. In the case of Saint Bibiana, the existence of numerous clay versions attests to the widespread circulation of the model and raises the possibility that some bronze castings may derive from these intermediate prototypes, rather than coming directly from a mold taken from the marble.
The bronze works associated with Bernini also include other religious and mythological compositions, among them versions of the Blessed Ludovica Albertoni, Pluto and Proserpina, and Apollo. Some mythological bronzes were acquired by European collectors during their travels through Italy, such as George Parker, the future Earl of Macclesfield, on his Grand Tour of 1719–1722. These examples illustrate the interest that Italian sculptural reductions aroused among major collectors and their role in the international dissemination of the Baroque style.