ATTRIBUTED TO GEROLAMO TICCIATI (1679-1745), ITALIAN, FLORENCE, FIRST HALF 18TH CENTURY | RELIEF WITH THE PROFILE OF A MAN, PROBABLY GALILEO GALILEI (1564-1642)

This impressive relief of the famous astronomer has been attributed by Professor Andrea Bacchi to the Florentine late Baroque sculptor Girolamo Ticciati, who was responsible for the series of reliefs depicting the Stories of the Baptist for the choir of the Florentine Baptistry and which are now in the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo. The attribution is based upon comparison with these reliefs and with the Giovanni da Verrazzano portrait in the National Gallery of Art, Washington, which evidences the same 'Bandinellian stylistic features' (op. cit.). The probable identification of the sitter as Galileo is substantiated by comparison with the portrait made circa 1680 by Giovanni Battista Foggini for Galileo's tomb in Santa Croce, Florence.

An expertise by Professor Andrea Bacchi is available upon request.