Young Philosopher; Old Philosopher
- Object belonging
- One's own
- Category
- Bronze sculpture
- City
- Rome
- Location
- Museo Nazionale del Palazzo di Venezia
- Specific location
- Room 17
- Inventory
- PV 09753-54
- Material and technique
- Bronze, brown patina
- Author
- Roman School
- Dating
- Late 3rd century
- Dimensions
- 11.9 x 10.4 x 6.5 cm.; 11.9 x 10.3 x 7.8 cm.
- Origin
- Museo Nazionale di Castel Sant'Angelo (1936)
- Image copyright
- SSPSAE e per il Polo Museale della città di Roma
Short description
There is little literature on these two bronzes, though there are some references made in older texts and sources. Hermanin dated the sculptures to the 3rd century, “similar to the poetic classical statues that decorated Roman libraries, like those that flank the entrance to the Galleria dei Candelabri in the Vatican Museum.” Santangelo, on the other hand, believed the two works to be Renaissance imitations of classical models made in Padua at the end of the 15th century. It is likely, though, that the two statuettes were part of the rich classical tradition of creating small bronzes depicting seated and meditating philosophers.
Pietro Cannata
Bibliography
G. G. Winckelmann, Opere, vol. 7, Prato 1831, § 106, p. 209; F. Hermanin, Il Palazzo di Venezia, Rome 1948, p. 297; A. Santangelo, Museo di Palazzo Venezia. Catalogo delle sculture, Rome 1954, p. 9; P. Cannata, in E. Lo Sardo (ed.), Athanasius Kirker S. J. Il Museo del Mondo, exh. cat., Rome 2001, pp. 48-49, cat. 1, 1a-b.
