Attributed to Ferdinando Tacca (1619-1686) Italian, Florence, circa 1665

Standard surface abrasions. Some small spots of verdigris. Remainders of rich red-gold translucent lacquer. Minor casting flaw on back of base. Loss to appliqué on upper portion of cross. Wood base with worming losses and some cracks.
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.
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Ferdinando Tacca became court sculptor to the Grand Dukes of Tuscany and inherited Giambologna's Borgo Pinti workshop and foundry after the death of his father, Pietro, in 1640. Although a remarkably small number of documented bronzes by Ferdinando Tacca are known, this figure is ascribed to him based upon its similarity to the Martyrdom of St. Stephen relief in Santo Stefano al Ponte, Florence. The finishing of the swirling punchwork on the rockwork base is virtually a signature of the sculptor. The pair of large bronzes of putti made by Tacca for the altar in Santo Stefano al Pointe, now in the Getty Museum (op. cit.) are also comparable to the present statuette in the treatment of details and, in particular, the facial type and long, wavy tresses.

The other known example of this statuette is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (the Untermyer Collection, no. 64.101.1467), although it lacks the cross.

RELATED LITERATURE
Y. Hackenbroch, Bronzes, Other Metalwork and Sculpture in the Irwin Untermyer Collection, London, 1962, p. 77, fig. 80
A. Radcliffe, 'Ferdinando Tacca, The Missing Link in FLorentine Baroque Bronzes,' in Kunst des Barock in der Toskana, Munich, 1976, pp. 14-23, note 21
P. Fogelman and P. Fusco et. al., Italian and Spanish Sculpture. Catalogue of the J. Paul Getty Museum Collection, J. Paul Getty Trust, 2002, cat. no. 27