GIUSEPPE MARIA MAZZA (BOLOGNA 1653 - 1741 BOLOGNA)ITALIAN, BOLOGNA, LATE 17TH/EARLY 18TH CENTURY | David Triumphant Over Goliath

Heim Gallery, London;
The Arthur M. Sackler Collections, New York;
his sale, Sotheby's New York, 29 January 2010, lot 444

Charles Avery, with Alastair Laing, Fingerprints of the artist: European terra-cotta sculpture from the Arthur M. Sackler Collection, Washington, 1981, no. 39, illus.;
James David Draper, European Terracottas from the Arthur M. Sackler Collections, exhibition catalogue, Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1981, no. 27, illus. on cover;
Ian Wardropper, European Terracotta Sculpture from the Arthur M. Sackler collections: the Art Institute of Chicago, exhibition catalogue, December 9, 1987 - March 6, 1988, no. 14, illus.

Eugenio Riccòmini, Scultura Bolognese del Settecento, Associazione per le Arti "Francesco Francia", 1972, p. 9;
Eugenio Riccòmini, Ordine e Vaghezza-Scultura in Emilia nell' Età Barocca, Bologna, 1972, p. 98, no. 110, ill.;
The Detroit Institute of Arts, The Twilight of the Medici, Late Baroque Art in Florence, 1670-1743, 1974, p. 48

Surface abrasions, chips and losses. There are restorations throughout due to breaks. Some hairline cracks are visible on base (and seem to be stable). Sword in his proper right hand and upraised arm have been restored. A layer of terracotta-colored pigment has been applied to the surface. A piece of wood has been placed in the underside for reinforcement. Beautiful modeling.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

In this spectacular group, the adolescent figure of David rises above the lifeless body of the defeated figure of Goliath, hoisting up the giant’s severed head in a display of improbable triumph. The ingenious composition, with the mass of drapery below,  provides a support for David's confident posture and shows the dramatic contrast in scale between the figures, specifically the two heads. Mazza's early training as a painter appears to be reflected in his three-dimensional work. Giuseppe’s sculptures have a pictorial quality; they are balanced and self-contained. This quality is enhanced by the artist’s pyramidal arrangement of figures and drapery seen in many of his groups and reliefs. Like Algardi’s work, his sculptures exhibit a classical restraint with periodic flourishes within a sea of drapery folds, producing dynamic compositions. Compare Mazza's polychrome terracotta group of The Holy Family in the Pinacoteca Nazionale, Bologna (Riccòmini 1966, op. cit., no. 41) (fig. 1) and his gilt terracotta of the Madonna fainting in the arms of the Magdalene in S. Maria della Carità, Bologna (Riccòmini 1966, op. cit., no. 13, p. 59). Mazza’s use of delicate, diminutive facial features seen on several of his figures are visible in the figure of David as well as in works such as the draped Female Figure in the Museo d' arte industrial e Galleria Davia-Bargellini, Bologna (Riccòmini 1966, op. cit., p. 63, nos. 25 and 26).  

Giuseppe's design of David and Goliath seems to have inspired the great Florentine Baroque sculptor, Giovanni Battista Foggini in his well-known group of the same subject now in the Cleveland Museum (Detroit, op. cit. no. 11).

Giuseppe Maria Mazza was born in Bologna and studied under his father, the sculptor Camillo Mazza (1602–72), who apprenticed with the Baroque master Alessandro Algardi in Rome. Mazza's fully finished terracotta statuettes were displayed in the homes of wealthy patrons, the most important of whom was the connoisseur Prince Johann Adam Andreas of Liechtenstein. While the majority of Mazza's work had religious themes, he also depicted mythological or secular subjects, particularly for the Prince, including six marble busts and twelve terracotta groups. In 1722, he also produced five large bronze reliefs depicting the miracles of Saint Domenic for the Chapel of San Domenico in the church of Santi Giovanni e Paolo, Venice. Much of his career was spent, however, in his native Bologna where Giuseppe executed terracotta and stucco sculpture for various churches.

The story of David and Goliath is described in the Book of Saul. King Saul was chosen to lead the Israelites against their enemies, the Philistines but when faced with the Philistine giant Goliath, he refused to fight. David volunteered, rejected the use of Saul’s armour, and defeated the giant. The Philistines eventually fled the field. The implicit purpose of the story of Goliath was to demonstrate that David, not Saul, was fit to be king.