modellino per divinità fluviale 

This is Giambologna’s ‘modellino per divinità fluviale’, made sometime before 1608. The Renaissance fascination with classical antiquity led artists like Giambologna to revive Greco-Roman mythological figures and artistic styles. Giambologna’s River God embodies the Renaissance ideal of the virile, muscular male nude, a symbol of power and divine creation that often excluded women. The artist subtly integrates the male figure with natural elements, emphasizing the interconnectedness of the human form with the natural world. The figure represents a male deity, a reflection of a patriarchal society that often assigned male identities to forces of nature. Giambologna captures a figure of masculine strength but also vulnerability, as the god seems deep in thought, perhaps contemplating his dominion over the waters. This complex rendering offers a space to consider the cultural values and gender dynamics inherent in Renaissance art. It presents a figure of power, while hinting at deeper, more introspective qualities.