Pietro TaccaItalian, 1577–1640Belvedere Antinous
Can I see it?
Not on view at present
Where is “Belvedere Antinous” now? Collection: J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles. Not on view at present. Checked October 7, 2026.
Los Angeles, United States
It belongs to the collection, but is not on display at present.
- Checked
- In this state since
- Source
- The museum
About the sculpture
The composition of this two-foot tall bronze sculpture--with its *contrapposto* pose and ancient Greek cloak--is based on what artists and collectors considered one of the most beautiful surviving statues from antiquity, the ancient Roman marble known as *Belvedere Antinous*, now in the Vatican Museums. While the original was first thought to represent Roman Emperor Hadrian's handsome Greek lover Antinous, scholars now believe the work is a representation of the Olympian god Hermes. Considered a model of ideal human proportions, the statue inspired many artistic interpretations. From the Renaissance on, the European elite sought reduced-size bronze reproductions made after famous ancient models to display in their collections. It is believed French aristocrat and collector Louis Hesselin commissioned this statue during a trip to Italy in the 1630s.
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Upon his death, this bronze, along with more than thirty others he owned, was acquired by the Sun King, Louis XIV. The *N.4* engraved on the back of the right ankle is the statue's inventory number from the bronze collection of the French Crown, indicating the statue's royal provenance.
J. Paul Getty Museum
Details
- Accession number
- 2014.40
In the catalog
Sources
- J. Paul Getty Museum
- Image: J. Paul Getty Museum — Open Content
