Circle of Francesco Righetti (1749-1819) Neoclassical Bronze Group

“The Rape of Sabina”, large bronze group with brown patina, Roman workshop from the second half of the 18th century, circle of Francesco Righetti (Rome 1749-1819).

The exceptional quality of this sculptural group takes us back to Rome in the second half of the 18th century, when the city was an essential destination for young European aristocrats who arrived during the Grand Tour. Wealthy young people were eager to take home a piece of the eternal city and so the “souvenir” workshops were born, where high-quality replicas of ancient masterpieces were made in precious materials (bronze, marble, semiprecious stones). Francesco Righetti, who had trained at the multifaceted workshop of the silversmith and bronze worker Luigi Valadier in the modeling and casting of small and large bronzes, opened his own studio in 1779 in via della Purificazione and later, in 1789, a foundry located in vicolo S. Isidoro, where he mainly produced bronzes based on ancient statuary. Unlike his colleagues, however, Righetti decided to combine the serial production of small bronzes with that of larger-sized sculptures, in addition to the production of desserts and different compositions in bronze and silver. Appreciated by princes and rulers throughout Europe, he produced replicas of Roman statues, models by Giambologna, statues from the Uffizi placed on bases in different marbles; thanks to these important commissions, his name established itself on the Roman and international market, so much so that, to satisfy the numerous requests, he had to employ several sculptors and craftsmen in the workshop, including external collaborators, busy with the modeling and casting of his works.

Our group is not signed but the exceptional quality, the important dimensions, the original base in red marble and black marble place it very close to the Righetti workshop. The characters are chiseled with great detail: just look at the expressive faces, the hair, the hands, the feet and the nails; the brown patina is well preserved.

The Rape of the Sabine Woman is probably one of the most famous sculptures exhibited in the Loggia dei Lanzi in Florence. Work of Giambologna, it depicts an episode of ancient Roman history: a young Roman grabs and lifts a young Sabine woman. Below, an older man, probably the girl’s father, tries to block the kidnapper. The girl in fact tries to wriggle free and spreads her arms in a sign of terror. Her expression is clearly desperate. The same desperation, due to the sense of impotence, is on the face of the kneeling old man. The figures represent an episode of antiquity. For this reason and for stylistic reasons the characters are depicted naked.

The Rape of the Sabine Women is a mythological episode related to the foundation of Rome. It refers to a political and strategic event organized by Romulus. After founding Rome in 753 BC, the sovereign found himself in the need of offering companions to his fellow citizens. The rape took place during the celebration of an impressive show organized to celebrate the city. Some peoples participated, including the Ceninensi, the Antemnati, the Crustumini and the Sabines.
During the event, at a sign from Romulus, his men with weapons in hand took possession of the unmarried women. Historical sources do not report the facts clearly. However, it seems that no one was killed and the other guests returned to their cities. In turn, however, they later reacted by attacking Rome but were defeated.

Total height 86 cm
Height of the bronze 65 cm
Maximum width 30 x 27 cm
Base 21 x 21 cm H 21 cm