Countess Matilda of Tuscany
(c. 1634)
Medium
gilt-bronze
Measurements
(a-b) 53.7 × 25.4 × 18.2 cm (overall)
Credit Line
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Felton Bequest, 1970
Gallery location
16th & 17th Century Gallery - Painting and Sculpture
Mezzanine linked to Level 1, NGV International
About this work
This gilt-bronze figure is a reduced version of a marble sculpture of Countess Matilda of Tuscany that adorns her tomb in Saint Peter’s Basilica, Rome. Pope Urban VIII (Maffeo Barberini) interred the ashes of this prominent medieval leader there and commissioned Bernini, his favourite sculptor, to create that larger than life-size sculpture. The inscription on the base of this bronze indicates it was made by Bernini as a memento for the pope. The very fine detailing, crisp moulding and gilding indicate Bernini himself would have overseen its production and that it was close to the terracotta model used as the basis for his larger sculpture.
Artwork Details
Inscription
(b) engraved in front of base c.: MATHILDI / GRATI · ANIMI / ERGO / VRBANVS · VIII / POSVIT
Accession Number
E2.a-b-1970
Department
International Sculpture
This digital record has been made available on NGV Collection Online through the generous support of Digitisation Champion Ms Carol Grigor through Metal Manufactures Limited