Description

This bronze sculpture is after the original Roman bronze sculptures found in the ‘The Villa dei Papiri’ in Herculaneum, currently housed in the National Archaeological Museum of Naples.

These 1st century AD Roman sculptures were discovered in the Villa dei Papyri during an exploration campaign that lasted from 1750 to 1765 outside the site of Herculaneum. Ninety-three works of art were uncovered in this villa known for its exceptional decoration. The original pair of fawns decorated the peristyle of the villa.

Initiated in 1738 by Charles de Bourbon, the excavation of Herculaneum yielded so many antiques that a museum was set up in 1750 in Portici, a city next to Naples, in an annex of the royal palace. They were reproduced by the Chiurazzi foundry since the end of the 19th century and are illustrated in their catalogue.

The sculpture depicts a slender, graceful fawn standing on a rectangular base, rendered with a smooth and polished surface that enhances its elegant form and lifelike posture. The glossy, dark patina of the bronze emphasizes the deer’s silhouette and creates gentle highlights across its body, contributing to the sculpture’s sense of vitality and quiet dignity.

An elegant bronze sculpture of a fawn

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