Flandres, XVIIIe siècle, d'après François Duquesnoy (1597-1643) Apollon

M. Boudon-Machuel, François Du Quesnoy 1597-1643, Paris, 2005, pp. 270-71.

Overall good condition with minor wear to the dark brown patina and a few scratches at several places consistent with age and handling. Casting joints visible to both shoulders and upper thighs. Another joint visible around his neck. One old repair to the back of his proper left thigh visible as a square patch in the bronze; another small square patch to his proper right shoulder and wrist, as well as his lower right thigh. There appears to be an old repair to his proper left ankle where a fine hairline fissure can be detected. The wooden base is a later addition. Very nice cast of good size.
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En 1672, Giovanni Pietro Bellori indique dans ses Vite de’ Pittori, scultori e architetti moderni  que Duquesnoy fit un Apollon pour accompagner le Mercure qu’il avait réalisé pour Vincenzo Giustinani, en pendant à l’Hercule antique de sa collection : « Ensuite il fit un Apollon comme compagnon au Mercure, dans l’attitude de l’Antinoüs du Belvédère ». Cependant, aucun Apollon correspondant n’est mentionné dans l’inventaire des collections de Giustinani. Une paire de bronzes du Mercure Giustiniani et de l’Apollon et Cupidon se trouve dans les collections des Prince de Liechtenstein (inv. n° S 611 et n° S 610). Le modèle initial, datant vraisemblablement des années 1630-40, était accompagné d’un Cupidon portant un carquois dans le dos, un arc et tendant une flèche à Apollon. Plusieurs versions en bronze d’Apollon sans Cupidon sont connues. Des exemplaires en plomb ont également été réalisés vers 1725 par le sculpteur autrichien Georg Raphael Donner, d’après le bronze de la collection des Princes de  Liechtenstein, dont l’un se trouve à Francfort, au Liebieghaus (inv. n° 1561).