modellino per divinità fluviale 

This terracotta modellino for a river god was made by Giambologna, likely in Florence, sometime in the late 16th century. Terracotta, meaning ‘baked earth’ in Italian, is a humble material, yet capable of great refinement. Here, Giambologna has exploited its inherent plasticity, evidenced in the sweeping contours and muscular definition. But, in using terracotta, Giambologna was also participating in a tradition that extended back to ancient times. It was a common medium for preliminary studies, allowing artists to work through ideas in three dimensions before committing to more costly materials like marble or bronze. It is important to remember that in Giambologna's time, the making of art was a deeply collaborative endeavor. This piece is a direct product of workshop production, where divisions of labor were the order of the day. So, in appreciating this object, we are not only seeing the vision of a master but also gaining insight into the social dynamics of artistic creation in early modern Europe.