The sculptures of the nymphaeum at Lainate : the origins of the Mellon Venus and Bacchus

Author

Gentilini, Giancarlo; Morandotti, Alessandro

Document type

Article (journal)

Language

English

Source

Studies in the history of art. 1990, Vol. 24, 135-171, 29 ill.

ISSN

0091-7338

Abstract (en)

Presents evidence establishing that the Mellon Venus and Bacchus, bronze sculptures that entered the National Gallery of Art (Washington) as works of Sansovino, were in the nymphaeum of the Visconti Borromeo villa (now Villa Toselli) at Lainate from the mid-17th to the mid-19th cs. Examines the history of the nymphaeum, designed by Martino Bassi for Pirro I Visconti Borromeo to house his collection, and focuses on the sculptures, attributing the decorative program to Lomazzo. Draws attention to the resemblance of the Mellon Venus to a marble Nymph still in sitū, and suggests that Francesco Brambilla furnished the models for both. Assigns the Bacchus to a sculptor working under Brambilla, possibly Gaspare Vismara. (Appendices with a survey of the history of the sculptural decoration of the nymphaeum, and transcriptions of Visconti Borromeo estate inventories (1604, 1611, 1625) and inventories of the villa at Lainate (1656, 1658) as well as descriptions and documents (1784-97 and 1836) mentioning the nymphaeum and the sculptures.)

Subject (en)

• General history of art -- 1400-1800 -- Sculpture -- Italy
• Brambilla, Francesco, the younger, d.1599
• Sculpture
• Italy
• Venus Anadyomene
• National Gallery of Art||Washington, DC (USA)
• Villa Toselli||Lainate (ITA)
• Visconti Borromeo family, 16th-17th cs.
• Visconti Borromeo, Pirro, conte, ca.1560-1604
• Vismara, Gaspare, act.1610, d.1651
• Nymphaea
• Architecture
• Collectors
• Commissions
• Inventories (documents)
• Documents
• Estate inventories
• Bacchus
• Sansovino, Jacopo (Jacopo d'Antonio Tatti), 1486-1570
• Decoration

Subject (fr)

• Histoire générale de l'art -- 1400-1800 -- Sculpture -- Italie
• Sculpture
• Italie
• Vénus anadyomène
• National Gallery of Art||Washington, DC (USA)
• Villa Toselli||Lainate (ITA)
• Visconti Borromeo, famille, 16~e-17~e s.
• Visconti Borromeo, Pirro, conte, v.1560-1604
• Vismara, Gaspare, act.1610, m.1651
• Nymphée
• Architecture
• Collectionneurs
• Commande d'oeuvre d'art
• Inventaire (document)
• Documents
• Inventaire après décès
• Bacchus
• Sansovino, Jacopo (Jacopo d'Antonio Tatti), 1486-1570
• Décor

Origin

DatabaseBHA (Inist-CNRS/GRI)

Identifier19921001-00433530

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