CIMRM 506 - Torchbearer converted into a Paris. British Museum, London. From Rome, Italy.
Goethe refers to the discovery of the two statues as follows:
I felt sorry that an intelligent and wealthy art lover, like the Count should sometimes deal with persons who were not very reliable. His acquisition of a fake carved gem gave rise to arguments and caused him much annoyance. However, he could feel happy about having bought a beautiful statue of Paris or, as some think, Mithras. Its counterpart is now in the Museo Pio-Clementino: both were found in the same sand-pit.1
Count Fries bought the statue from an art-dealer in Rome named Jenkins, whom Goethe visited.
CIMRM entry
ROMA (Reg. XIV)
506.
White marble statue (H. 1.35 Br. 0.39), found together with the ollowing No. in 1785 "5 Miglien vor Porta Portese in einer Grotte nah am Tiber" (Zoega). Then bought by Th. Jenkins, who presented it to Count Fries at Vienne; nowadays London, Br. M.
Guattani, Mon. ant., 37, Pl. III; Ciarac, Mus. Sculpt., V, 69 and Pl. 827 No. 2083; Zoega, Bass., II, 15 No. 4; Welcker in Zoega, Abh., 94 n.2; MMM II 209 No. 27 and Pl. II; Smith, Cat. Br. Mus., 89 No. 1722; HGR 380. See fig. 147.
Torchbearer, restored as a Paris, in Eastern attire. He raises his torch; not crosslegged. Restorations: r. arm from the elbow down; r.h. with apple; l.h. with hook and details of hair and attire.
External links
- British Museum website - Object reference number: GAA80105; Museum number: 1846,0507.1.
| 1 | J.W. Goethe, Italian Journey, tr. Auden, Penguin ed. p.370. |
| Tweet |