Italian school; XVIII- XIX centuries.

Italian school; XVIII- XIX centuries.
"Bacchus". Bronze
Mounted on a later sandstone base.
Measurements: 52 x 19 x 31 cm; 60 x 23 x 42 x 42 cm (with base).
The figure was originally part of a small garden fountain, from which water gushed from the wineskin it holds. Bronzes of this type were usually placed in Italian Baroque gardens, often on marble pedestals as central decorative elements.
The bronze sculpture represents Bacchus (Dionysus in Greek mythology), the Roman god of wine, celebration and ecstasy.
This work fits perfectly within the framework of the Grand Tour, the tradition of cultural travel undertaken by young European aristocrats, mainly British, during the 17th to 19th centuries. Italy, and in particular its Baroque gardens, were essential destinations for these travelers, who valued the artistic wealth and classical heritage of the peninsula.
Sculptures of classical gods such as Bacchus were coveted objects during the Grand Tour, both as souvenirs and as decorative pieces for their residences. They represented admiration for antiquity, a taste for the exotic and a celebration of culture and leisure, aspects highly valued by the European elites of the time.