Attributed to Giacomo Cassetti (1682–1757), Italy, Vicenza, second quarter of the 18th Century

Sotheby's Florence, Salvatore e Francesco Romano. Antiquari a Firenze. A Century as Antique Dealers at Palazzo Magnani Feroni, 12 October 2009, Lot. 241

These two monumental sculptures (see also lot 55), carved in pietra di Vicenza, display the stylistic features characteristic of the Venetian sculptor Giacomo Cassetti (1682–1757). His artistic language was shaped by the influence of the Paduan sculptor Antonio Bonazza (1698–1762) and the Venetian master Giovanni Maria Morlaiter (1699–1781).

Cassetti was the pupil and principal collaborator of his father-in-law, Orazio Marinali (Bassano del Grappa, 1643 – Vicenza, 1720), whose daughter he married in 1706. In 1742 he signed the celebrated group of San Giorgio on the altar of the parish church of Castel Tesino, near Trento, with the inscription: IACOBUS CASSETTI/MARINALI (fig. 55, p. 399).

In 1715 he was active on the garden sculptures in the park of Villa Trissino-Marzotto.

Particularly striking is the resemblance between the head of Coronis (lot 57) and that of the Mansuetudo in the church of Santa Maria in Araceli, Vicenza. Likewise, the contrapposto stance of our figure recalls both the Justice at Santo Stefano in Vicenza and the Minerva at Palazzo Fietta-Serena in Asolo (De Grassi 2002, figs. 47, 51, 71; pp. 396, 393, 406).

The Apollo Citaredo also finds close parallels in the statues of the god at Villa Cardellina in Montecchio Maggiore and at Palazzo Fietta-Serena in Asolo (figs. 69–70, p. 405).

We thank Dr. Maichol Clemente, who has attributed this lot to Giacomo Cassetti.

Related Literature

Massimo De Grassi, Giacomo Cassetti e l'eredità dei Marinali, La Scultura Veneta del Seicento e del Settecento, Venice, 2002, p. 337.