Italo-Flemish, late 17th/ early 18th century

Bronzes de la Renaissance de Donatello à François Duquesnoy, Château de Laarne, (September-October 1967) no. 77

C. Avery, Hempson Exhibition of Fine Works of Art  (June-July 1980) p. 20

This bronze contains casting flaws most evident in the back leg and the front right leg. There is a repaired break to the lion's tail. There are some flaws to the tail. There are flaws to his right hand and a large hole on his left hoof. Scratches throughout. Repair to lower right hind leg.
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This dramatic bronze of a centaur raising his club in defence of an attacking lion is vibrant in both its detail and conception.  No other cast of this model is known.  The unique composition demonstrates the influence of Italy on the sculptor, more specifically that of the Giambologna school to which it was once attributed (Laarne). However, the facture of the bronze is not commensurate with Italian bronze casting.  The execution and style of the present bronze can be compared with a bronze Charging Centaur with Raised Club from the Hempson Exhibition of Fine Works of Art (25^th June-23^rd July 1980) no. 27, which Avery has suggested is early 17th-century Italo-Flemish.  The attribution to a Northern sculptor who trained or worked in Italy is also compelling for the present centaur.

The facial expression, pronounced lower lip and furrowed brow is reminiscent of the work of Willem van Tetrode, as is the way in which the delicate detailing of the centaur's features stands in contrasts to the brute masculinity of the figure itself.  However, the composition, size and facture of the present centaur suggest that it was modelled and cast later in the 17^th century and possibly into the early 18^th century. 

Scientific analysis supports this supposition.  The structure, alloy, and patina of the present bronze was analysed by the Institut Royal Patrimoine Artistique, Brussels in 2006.  EXDRF (energy dispersive x-ray fluorescence) and SEM-EDX revealed that the alloy is copper-zinc (brass) with a small addition of lead and tin.  Mettallography revealed that a metal die was not used for the production of the bronze and that the surface was cold-worked. 

Similarities can also be drawn between the bronze and elements of the work of Pierre Puget (1620-1694), a sculptor who both lived and worked in Italy at different times during his career.  Puget did not cast his bronzes with integral bases but set them directly into marble or wood supports, as in the present bronze. The similarity between the form and attitude of the present lion with the lion in Puget's marble Milon de Croton in the Louvre (inv. no. mr2075) has been noted. It is also recorded that Puget had great difficulty casting in bronze due to the fact the founders at the Toulon Arsenal (within the shipyard were he worked) had no experience working with the lost-wax method, which would explain the evident complications the sculptor faced in casting the bronze.  

Although a precise attribution is difficult, the merit of the present bronze centaur lies in its delightful evocation of a Florentine trope as interpreted by a northern sculptor.