Alessandro VittoriaItalian, 1525–1608Juno
May one see it?
Yes, receiving visitors
On public display.
- Checked
- In this state since
- Source
- The museum's own collection data
About the sculpture
This statuette - a firedog figure - representing Juno, is a model made in the circle of Alessandro Vittoria, in Venice, in about 1580-1590.
The figure originally surmounted a fire-dog and was not intended as an independent statuette. It is frequently paired with A.18-1961, a figure of Jupiter, but it probably dates from an later period. It is one of numerous copies of a model by Alessandro Vittoria. Although possibly produced in Vittoria's workshop, such figures were also reproduced by artisan founders in Venice following the style of the leading sculptors of the day.
Firedogs or andirons were placed within the fireplace and would have been used to hold utensials which were required for tending the fire. Often, firedogs do not even appear on inventories, which indicates their status as standard household objects, not necessarily worthy of particular note.
Read on
Firedogs stand either side of the fireplace and hold burning logs above the floor in order to allow an updraft of air.
Vittoria (1525-1608) was an Italian sculptor, stuccoist and architect. In the second half of the 16th century he became one of the most important sculptors active in Venice. On his arrival in Venice in 1543 he worked for Jacopo Sansovino (1486-1570). He left Venice for Vicenza for a period of around 6 years. Apart from that and another short stay in 1576-77 when he worked in Brescia and Vicenca again to avoid the plague, he remained in Venice until his death. He is buried in the church of S. Zaccaria, where there is also a marble self-portrait bust as part of the monument. Portrait busts form a large part of his oevre.
Victoria and Albert Museum
Particulars
- Accession number
- A.19-1961
What it shows
In the catalog
Sources
- Victoria and Albert Museum: the museum's own open data · fetched 10 days ago
- Image: Victoria and Albert Museum — © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
