Personification of the River Nile 1780 - 1800

Giovanni Volpato created this terracotta sculpture of the Personification of the River Nile in Italy, around the late eighteenth century. Volpato invokes ancient Roman artistic traditions of depicting rivers as reclining male figures. Here, the Nile is represented as a muscular, bearded man surrounded by sixteen putti, referencing the river's life-giving role in irrigating the land, which made possible the growing of crops. He is accompanied by a sphinx, linking the river to its Egyptian origins. This sculpture was made during the height of the Grand Tour, when wealthy Europeans travelled around Italy and collected classical art. A piece such as this would have been especially desirable, as the sculptural style quotes ancient Rome, while the subject of the Nile reflects Western Europe’s growing interest in ancient Egypt. Through close visual analysis and historical research, we can understand more about how this sculpture combines both classical and Egyptological aesthetics. Ultimately, the meaning of art is always contingent on its social and historical context.