Description
The artist's preoccupation with antiquity earned him his nickname. His patrons, the Gonzaga family of Mantua, sent him to Rome to study ancient sculpture so that he would be able to seek out antiquities for purchase, discern forgeries, and produce small versions in bronze of famous statues. The last are usually creative interpretations, which he called his "antiquities." This fine Venus may be loosely based on the same unrestored torso of a Roman copy after a Greek original as "Venus Pudica." Typical of Antico's style are the highly finished surface, dark patina, touches of gilding in the hair, and silver inlay for the eyes, a detail found in ancient bronzes. This Venus represents Spiritual Love, expressed through her modest pose, her lamp of celestial fire, and her crown of Virtue. Around 1520, Antico was creating pieces for his major patron in Mantua, the marchioness Isabella d'Este, whose refined tastes are here exemplified.
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