AMSTERDAM.- The Rijksmuseum has acquired a unique Italian sculpture from 1556 on the opening day of the Tefaf. The sculpture was made by Bartolomeo Ammanati. It is an expressive preparatory wax model for the fountain in the famous Palazzo Pitti in Florence. The sculpture has been bought thanks to the BankGiro Lottery.
The statue, c. 30 cm high, features a naked young man who, with his outstretched hand, holds a globe as the symbol of the cosmos. That motif is an allusion to the name of the patron, Cosimo de’ Medici, who commissioned the piece.
The work was created at a time when Florence was the artistic centre of Europe, where many artists worked together. This includes the great Dutch sculptor Adriaen de Vries. Wax models from the 16th century are extremely rare, given their fragility, which makes this sculpture exceptionally special.
This acquisition is a key work that enhances the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
