Apollino in bronze - Italy end of the 18th century

The Apollino is one of the antique models which aroused the enthusiasm of European artists and collectors during the 17th and 18th centuries. A famous Roman replica of a Hellenistic sculpture representing the adolescent god Apollo, currently held in the Uffizi Museum in Florence. Marked by proportions similar to those of Praxiteles' Aphrodite of Cnidus, this work provokes debate as to its true origin. Some argue that it is a faithful copy of a work by Praxiteles or of a similar style, while others argue that it rather reflects an eclectic creation of the Roman era. Discovered in Rome in the 17th century, the Apollino was initially part of the prestigious Borghese collection before joining the one of the Villa Medici. Unlike many other works in this collection, the marble was not transferred to Florence by Cosimo III de' Medici but remained in Rome until 1769 before joining the Uffizi Tribune. During the 18th century, numerous bronze reproductions of the Apollino were made to satisfy the taste of European elites for Antiquity and the collection of Grand Tour souvenirs. Coveted by Napoleon and then Vivant Denon for his Central Museum of Arts (Louvre Museum), the Apollino was sent at the beginning of the 19th century to Palermo to escape the pillaging of French troops. It returned to Florence a few years later and where it was restored by Lorenzo Bartolini.