벨 베데레의 정원 (Cortile Ottagonate. Cortile del Belvedere). 바티칸 박물관(Musei Vaticani)

벨 베데레의 정원 (Cortile Ottagonate. Cortile del Belvedere).

바티칸 박물관(Musei Vaticani). 바티칸 시국

 

 

 

 

 

 

Divinita fluviale (Arno)

River god (Arno)

This statue, which shows the river god in a traditional reclining pose, dates from the time of the Emperor Hadrian and was inspired by a Greek prototype. In the early 16th century it was displayed in the Courtyard of Statues (Cortile delle Statue) where it was part of a fountain, the basin of which is a sarcophagus dating from 170-180 A.D. decorated with scenes of battles between Greeks and Amazons. The statue was repaired and restored by various Renaissance artists, who replaced many parts, including the head with its expressive bearded face. A small lion's head has been carved on the vase, also a restoration, which was probably made in homage to Pope Leo X Medici (1513-1521), whilst the ring on the right hand bears the Medici coat-of-arms. These two elements suggest that the statue can be identified with the River Arno, which flows through Florence, though the presence of the feline, once thought to be a tiger, meant that for many years the statue was known as the River Tigris of the ancient Mesopotamia.

Museo Pio Clementino - Inv. 168

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The so-called Venere Felice

This statue was already in Pope Julius II's collection in 1509. Inspired by Praxiteles' Aphrodite of Cnidus, the portrait head has been identified by scholars as depicting an imperial princess from the last decades of the 2nd century AD. It is, however, more likely that the statue represents a Roman matron in the guise of Venus, possibly the same Sallustia who dedicated the sculpture together with Helpidus. The figure of Eros standing beside her could be a portrait of her young son. (inv. 129)

 

 

 

 

 

 

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