This striking classical revival masterwork has been attributed
to Bartolomeo Cavaceppi (c. 1716 to 1799), a sculptor and
restorer fascinated by the works of classical Rome and Greece.
This interest was very much in the spirit of the time. The
Accademia de San Luca, which he entered in 1732, was one of
numerous European art institutions where the masterworks of the
classical world were used to fuel the Enlightenment. His
workshop in Rome became famous as a stopping point for European
tourists on the Grand Tour, and sold both recent and ancient
works of art. His al l antica (Lit. “in the antique style”)
works were in great demand in what was essentially the jet set
of the time: wealthy, well-travelled aristocrats, building
collections of original and classically-inspired artworks. He
also carried out major restoration works for Cardinal Albani
(the nephew of Pope Clement XI, and the best known private
collector of antiquities in Rome) and achieved additional fame
with his publication of a three-volume work on a