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Rare Giambologna Statuette Returns to Germany

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Rare Giambologna Statuette Returns to Germany
The first public presentation of the "Dresden Mars," at the Stadtmuseum Freiberg on Jan. 23. 2019. Oliver Killig/Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden
Lorraine Ferrier
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The small bronze “Mars” first came to Dresden, Germany, in 1587 as a gift from the Late Renaissance sculptor Giambologna (1529–1608) to Elector Christian I of Saxony. (Electors were German princes with the power to elect the Holy Roman Emperor.) The “Dresden Mars” is thought to be the only surviving bronze that Giambologna produced for a royal sovereign. For 300 years, the statuette was part of the Saxon electors’ art collection.

Then, in 1924, the bronze went into private ownership as part of the “Fürstenabfindung,“ when the personal property of the dethroned princes was confiscated by the German state.
Lorraine Ferrier
Lorraine Ferrier
Author
Lorraine Ferrier writes about fine arts and craftsmanship for The Epoch Times. She focuses on artists and artisans, primarily in North America and Europe, who imbue their works with beauty and traditional values. She's especially interested in giving a voice to the rare and lesser-known arts and crafts, in the hope that we can preserve our traditional art heritage. She lives and writes in a London suburb, in England.
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