Attributed to Andrea di Alessandri, called Il Bresciano (fl. 1550-1575) Italian, Venice, circa 1550-1575

Christie's, London, 3 December 1964, lot 72;
with Marcello Guidi, Florence, Italy, 15 May 1977;
there acquired by Baron Hans Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza (1921-2002);
by descent to the present owners

A. Radcliffe, M. Baker and M. Maek-Gérard, The Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection. Renaissance and later sculpture, with works of art in bronze, London, 1992, pp. 162-165, no. 24;
C. Avery, 'Andrea di Bartolomeo di Alessandri detto il Bresciano "lavorator di gettar cose di Bronzo": candelabri, satiri e battenti", M. Ceriana and V. Avery (eds.), L'industria artistica del bronzo del rinascimento a Venezia e nell'Italia settentrionale, Venice, 2008, p. 243, fig. 22 

Overall the condition of the bronze is good with some wear and dirt to the surface consistent with age with throughout with some rubbing to the patina to the fur of the legs and tail. The bronze was not finished after casting and the surface therefore has a rough surface with old nicks and dents throughout. There is a flattened patch to the top of the head and a large notch to the proper right elbow to do with the object's former location. There is a patch of greening between the two legs. The bronze was recently remounted on its base. There is a stable split to the wood and there is some wear to the edges.
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The sense of movement in this charming Renaissance bronze is such that it was once described as 'dancing' (Radcliffe, op. cit., p. 162). Reclining very slightly, and posed as if reaching out to support himself, the present satyr is likely to come from a larger ensemble, probably an elaborate secular candlestick. Recently attributed to the important Venetian sculptor Andrea Bresciano, this rare bronze is superbly cast. Observe the play of textures, as the thick flowing tufts of fur covering the satyr's legs contrast with his smooth muscled body. The casting of the beard is particularly fine; it trails down the satyr's chest and terminates in individual waxy strands upon his flesh.

A near-identical cast of the present model exists with Altomani & Sons, Milan (Avery, 2008, op. cit. pp. 241-243), whilst Radcliffe also mentions a cast in the Musée du Louvre (inv. no. Th 122). In 2008, Charles Avery attributed the present bronze and the Altomani example to the talented Venetian bronze caster, Andrea Bresciano (Avery, 2008, op. cit. pp. 241-243). Bresciano is known chiefly for his most ambitious work, the celebrated Paschal candelabrum, which he signed and made between 1563 and 1665 for the church of Santo Spirito in Isola; it is now in Santa Maria della Salute, Venice. In 2003, Avery identified that a pair of candlesticks from Mount Stewart, the Scottish home of the Marquess of Bute, were the work of Bresciano, and has since been able to attribute a larger group of sculptures to his hand. Breciano's reputation during his lifetime was such that the Florentine agent in Venice, Cosimo Bartoli, wrote to Prince Francesco de'Medici in 1568, imploring him to buy a pair of his fire dogs (now identified as the Bute examples) (Avery, 2003, op. cit., pp. 46-61). Describing the Paschal commission Bartoli writes, 'this master has... made a great candelabrum for the friars of Santo Spirito, so imaginative, so decorative and so rich in figures, masks and other ornaments, that I do not believe you could find another like it anywhere in all Italy' (as quoted in Avery, 2003, op. cit., pp. 50-51).

The present figure is directly inspired by antique sculpture, and, with his pan pipes recalls the mythical satyr Marsyas, who foolishly challenged the god Apollo to a music contest. Avery suggests that the composition may be related to a small statue recorded as having been in the Tribuna of the Uffizi (Avery, op. cit., pp. 242-243). Bronzes inspired by such models would have captivated Renaissance humanist collectors, who were preoccupied with the ancient past.

The Thyssen bronze exhibits close correspondences with a number of works attributed to Bresciano. In particular, compare with his satyr holding a shield with the arms of the Capello family, sold at Sotheby's New York on 23 November 1987, lot 75. This figure similarly leans back slightly and exhibits the same wonderfully casting in the hair, fur and beard. The present bronze is further distinguished by the sharp casting in the face, which enhances the satyr's slightly menacing expression.

RELATED LITERATURE
V. Krahn, Bronzetti veneziani. Die venezianischen Kleinbronzen der Renaissance, exh. cat. Bode Museum, Berlin, 2003; C. Avery, 'Not quite Sansovino and not quite Vittoria: Andrea di Alessandri, called Il Bresciano, Sculpture Journal, IX, 2003, pp. 46-61