Completed Continental European before 1800, Sculpture 12 comments Is this a bust of Democritus, the so-called ‘Laughing Philosopher’?
Photo credit: National Trust Images
Another example of this bust is at the V&A, where it is listed as Italian, first half of 18th century, but not attributed to a specific sculptor (though the Marinali attribution is perfectly plausible). However, the V&A has this as a bust of Democritus, the so-called "Laughing Philosopher," which is also perfectly plausible. See https://bit.ly/3wMvNrD and https://bit.ly/2USm31S
Jacinto Regalado, Entry reviewed by Art UK
Completed, Outcome
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Further comments from Katharine Eustace, Group Leader for Sculpture:
The discussion opener here was a question as to subject. The ensuing discussion raised up other examples of a recognized type that firmly establish it as Democritus or Laughing Philosopher, often paired, as in examples in the V&A (A.39-1947 and A.40-1947), with Heraclitus or Weeping Philosopher.
The discussion then developed as often happens, into one of attribution. The current attribution ‘Orazio Marinali (1643–1720) (studio of)’ is contested, and complicated.
The distinguished Venetian art historian, Maichol Clemente clearly supports a firm attribution to the Venetian sculptor Alvise Tagliapietra (1670-1747), of the Democritus and its pendant Heraclitus by Simone Guerriero (in Pavanello, G. (ed.) ‘La scultura veneta del Seicento e del Settecento: nuovi studi’, Venice 2002), and tentatively acknowledged by the V&A on its Collections website. Tagliapietra was a pupil of the German-born Enrico Merengo (1628-1723), himself a pupil of the Flemish-born Josse or Giusto Le Court or Le Corte (1627-c.1679). Le Corte is possibly best known for his Madonna and Child on the High Altar of The Salute, Venice, where he worked with his pupil Tommaso Rues (or Ruer; 1636-1703).
Clemente argues that the bust under discussion is after a typological bust by Le Corte now in the Ponce Museum, Puerto Rico, and Jacinto Regalado has ascertained that its philosopher pair, Heraclitus, by Le Corte, is in the same collection. Clemente further suggests that Merengo might be considered in relation to the Democritus under discussion.
Orazio Marinali clearly became an umbrella name for the type, and perhaps with reason: the reredos of the Lady Altar formerly in Brescia and now in the Brompton Oratory, South Kensington (right next door to the V&A) is firmly attributed to Marinali and Tommaso Rues (1636-1703). Two figures reclining on the entablature have the faces and beards associated with the heads of the two archetypal philosophers.
Given the popularity of the subject type among this cohort of Venetian sculptors of the mid to late 17th Century, and the similarity of presentation if not of technique, the safest attribution would be generic, as Jacinto Regalado has suggested, ‘Venetian’, or perhaps ‘Circle of Orazio Marinali’.
Perhaps the National Trust would also consider the attribution of the five bas reliefs of characters in profile, also at Hughenden Manor, hitherto attributed to Marinali, but which Maichol Clemente attributes to Giovanni Bonazza (1654-1736). (See Pavanello, 2002)
11 comments
Good morning. This very interesting bust is effectively a depiction of Democritus. The reference to Orazio Marinali is incorrect. in truth it is a reduction of the bust of the philosopher sculpted by Giusto Le Court and today in the Ponce museum.
This work may refer to Le Court's pupil: Enrico Merengo. the work of the V&E is by Alvise Tagliapietra, a pupil of Merengo.
Is there an image of the Democritus bust at Ponce online? It does not appear to be accessible via the museum's website, though I understand the museum also has the pair to the Democritus bust, Heraclitus, also by Giusto Le Court. Heraclitus was known as "the weeping philosopher."
The Ponce bust is below (clicking on the image will enlarge it). It is very close to the V&A bust, and at least formerly it was attributed to Marinali. Our bust is clearly related to it:
https://bit.ly/3xKxJlD
Le Court, Merengo and Tagliapietra were all active in and associated with the Venice/Veneto area, so one could reasonably attribute this bust to Italian (Venetian) School should the collection so choose.
See the following for Orazio Marinali's stylistically different version:
https://padovamusei.it/it/musei/museo-arte-medievale-moderna/collezioni/scultura/democrito
This collection has five marble reliefs of heads representing various humours by Marinali:
https://bit.ly/3xPf3Bg
A comparable Marinali bust of a satyr is at the Bowes Museum:
https://bit.ly/3z9kWcR
This kind of bust, common in Venice in the second half of the 17th century and early 18th century, is known as a character bust. Le Court (who was of Flemish extraction) is considered the originator, but there other noted exponents like Marinali.
There *were* other noted exponents like Marinali.
Here are many things to clarify.
The V & A bust, with pendant, was rightly attributed to Alvise Tagliapietra in 2002.
The Padua corset is not marine, but a bust of the Bottega of Michele Fabris called the Ongaro.
Marble reliefs are not marinal: rightly attributed to Giovanni Bonazza a few years ago.
The Satyr Bust: it is not Venetian, the attribution is incomprehensible and wrong.
It appears that the V&A, the Padua Museo d'Arte, and the National Trust (which owns Hughenden Manor) are not aware of or have not accepted these attributions to Tagliapietra, Fabris and Bonazza, respectively. Who made them?
The original question posed, which concerned the identity of the subject, has been answered satisfactorily in the affirmative. The matter of attribution, which is rather more complicated and would require additional evidence or documentation, can be left for another discussion. Thus, pending the input from a Group Leader, I would think this is ready for recommendation to the collection.