French school of the 19th century. Following models of Jean Boulogne

French school of the 19th century. Following models of JEAN BOULOGNE (France, 1529 - Italy, 1608).
"Venus coming out of the bath", following models of the "Venus of the Grotto".
Carrara marble.
Measurements: 182 cm

The naked and smooth body of the Venus stands out for the torsion of the bust and shoulders, but above all for the fine and soft work on the marble, resulting in blurred forms and delicate volumes, designed to capture the admiration of the viewer. As if a beautiful woman had been transformed into a statue, or even as if the stone were translated into living flesh on the fountain over which she presides, Venus tilts her head and her whole body continues this curvature in a position derived from Raphael's solutions. The figure rests one foot on a pedestal, and prepares to wash herself with water. The typology of the Venus púdica or puditicia came from a long tradition and represented Aphrodite just out of the bath.

This work follows models of the "Venus of the Grotto" (1572-73) by Jean Boulogne, now preserved in the Grotta del Buontalenti of Francesco I, in the famous Boboli Gardens in Florence. Placed in front of a wall inlaid with mother-of-pearl, the naked and smooth body of the Venus stands out for the torsion of the torso and shoulders, but above all for the fine and soft work on the marble, resulting in blurred forms and delicate volumes, designed to capture the admiration of the viewer. As if a beautiful woman had been transformed into a statue, or even as if the stone were translated into living flesh on the fountain over which she presides, Venus tilts her head and her whole body continues this curvature in a position derived from Raphael's solutions. The figure rests one foot on the pedestal supporting a vessel, and prepares to wash herself with the water falling from a cliff of igneous rock decorated with shells, represented by the stone bottom of the grotto. At her feet, the vessel of the fountain is adorned with the figures of four satyrs, who climb the rock to contemplate the naked body of the goddess. Around the fountain are four scrolls decorated with masks, on an undulating ground, and four heads of "putti" with open mouths, from which water overflows. From a distance, the heads and arms of the satyrs seem to form the complex design of a rich cup, almost a luxurious object belonging to an ancient emperor devoted to the goddess of Love.