GiambolognaFlemish, 1529–1608Thetis
About the sculpture
Thetis, like the terracotta sketch-model of the River God, is another of Giambologna’s works associated with the fountain garden and grotto of the Medici Villa at Pratolino. Traditionally, grottoes were considered sacred places where homage was given to the divinities of sources and water, and from the time of the Roman Empire, were also referred to as nymphaea, meaning “fountains consecrated to the nymphs.” Thetis, as a silver-footed sea nymph, would have been an ideal component of the grotto fountain and of the larger water-based garden project.
Victoria and Albert Museum
Particulars
- Accession number
- 7628-1861
