Sculpture, Arithmetic, and Architecture
Artist
Francesco Bertos
(Italian, 1678 - 1741)
Dateca. 1710
MediumBronze
Dimensions42 x 22 x 19 in. (106.7 x 55.9 x 48.3 cm)
Base: 20 5/8 x 18 1/2 in. (52.4 x 47 cm)
Base: 20 5/8 x 18 1/2 in. (52.4 x 47 cm)
ClassificationsEuropean art
Credit LineGift of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr.
Object number71.2609
Terms
- Allegory
- Art
- Sculpture
- People
- Centaur
- Bronze
- Baroque
- Venice
Collections
On View
On viewLabel TextFrancesco Bertos Italian, 1678–1735 Sculpture, Arithmetic, and Architecture, ca. 1710 Bronze Like daredevil acrobats in the Cirque du Soleil, the figures in Francesco Bertos’ sculptures balance themselves atop one another in dizzying displays that draw the eye up and around in broad spirals. These breathtakingly complex works originally served as table centerpieces and were meant to be viewed from all sides. Their subjects are equally complex. Using the witty, allegorical language so beloved by Baroque artists, Bertos celebrates the arts of Sculpture, Arithmetic, and Architecture (behind you) and Painting and Music (behind you, at right). In the process, he gives shape to the intricate interplay of aesthetic ideals and human endeavor needed to bring those arts to fruition and lift them to the pinnacle of creative perfection. Gift of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr. 71.2609
Pair/Pair