Magnificent group in bronze with brown patina with green reflections representing "The abduction of the Sabines", according to  the famous marble sculpture of the 16th century, work of Giambologna (Jean Bologna).
Original visible in the Loggia dei Lanzi in Florence (photo of the original  attached, taken during my last stay in my favorite city).

The group of three figures should be viewed from different angles. Indeed the work,  produced in a gyratory movement rising on a single spiral axis with powerfully muscular bodies and expressive faces, can only be appreciated in its entirety from this way.

The Sabin, with the abundant beard, is crushed between the powerful legs of the Roman, and with a frightened face, helpless, he stretches out his hand in an imploring gesture.
The kidnapper, with curly hair and short beard, well planted on his legs, looks attentively at his captive, as if to make sure he has made the right choice.
The Sabine, with curly hair, girded with a narrow headband, cries out in despair, stretching out her open hand towards the sky. She is tightly held by the arms of her captor who holds her firmly by the back and lower body.

This group, with naked bodies,  in imitation of Greek statuary, is certainly one of the most beautiful works of Jean de Bologna.

A bit of history to get rich:

The story of this abduction is found mainly in Book 1 of the History of Rome written by Titus Livius (Livy in French), Roman historian, born in Padua in 59 BC. JC and died in the same city in 17 AD. JC

According to legend, Rome was founded in 753 BC by Romulus and his twin brother Remus, but the latter  was killed during a quarrel between the two brothers. The city and its enclosure built, Romulus proclaimed himself king, created laws and an army. In order to increase the population and its warrior force, he welcomed all males, free men, outlaws, slaves who so desired, so that very quickly the city found itself in need of women. Romulus, eager to solve this problem, sent emissaries to neighboring cities, offering them an alliance reinforced by marriages, but they unanimously refused this proposal.

Romulus then invited the neighboring populations to attend the feasts of Consualia which he had just created in homage to the god Consus, assimilated to Neptune in his aspect of god of horses.

When all attention was focused on the equestrian games, the young Romans appeared and seized the unmarried Sabines, the most beautiful of whom were brought to the senators of the city. The Sabines, who came unarmed, fled cursing this people who had thus violated the laws of hospitality. Romulus went the next day to the captives assuring them that this marriage imposed on them will make them happy through the love of their Roman husband,  will integrate them into the City and give them what any woman wants children.

The cities of Cenina, Crustumeria and Antemne whose daughters had been kidnapped went to war with Rome but were defeated one after the other. When the Sabine king, Titus Tatius, after a long and concealed preparation, attacked Rome, the latter was nearly succumbed, and only the intervention of the Sabine wives, now Romans, throwing themselves between their husbands and their fathers and brothers , ended the fight. To the great joy of the Sabines, the conflict ended with the signing of a treaty creating a single state headed by Romulus and Titus Tatius.

For the philosopher and moralist Plutarch (45 - 120 AD) who thus follows Livy, this event marks the founding act of Rome and its hegemony over Italy. According to him, the tradition for the husband to carry his young wife to cross the threshold of his new home is directly linked to the memory of the kidnapping of the Sabines.

For the historian Dionysius of Halicarnassus (60 BC – 8 AD), Romulus explained to the Sabines that this kidnapping was a noble and ancient Greek custom to enter into marriage because he himself, through Aeneas, was a descendant of Tros the founder of Troy, city of Greek culture. 

Learn more about the artist

Jehan de Boulogne, in French Jean de Bologne, in Italian Giambologna, was born in Douai in 1524. After his training in Flanders with the sculptor Jacques du Broeucq (1505 – 1554) he went to Rome where he became the disciple of Michel Ange ( 1475 – 1564). He then moved to Florence, and under the protection of the Grand Dukes of Tuscany,  he worked mainly for them. The cities of Bologna, Lucca and Genoa as well as the kings of France and Germany place numerous orders with him.

His workshop in Florence will thus make many reproductions of his works to satisfy  European demand.

An admirer of the work of Michelangelo and Hellenistic sculpture, he created groups with several characters, witnesses of his remarkable dexterity. In 1608 he died in Florence where most of his monumental work is still to be found.

Beautiful cast iron from the second half of the 19th century.
Very pretty brown shimmering patina with green reflections, giving superb nuances to the sandstones of the variations of light.
A few tiny scratches.


As with all of my art objects and furniture, I am very careful to be able to offer them to you at a very low expert estimate. 

My objects are photographed naturally, without going through a photo studio. Because of this, you can enjoy them as they really are.

Not putting all of my Furniture and Art Objects on Proantic, I invite you to follow my Instagram account where you can enjoy all the new products: @monantiquaire