Bust of Christ the Redeemer

Giusto Le Court (1627-1678)
17th century, White marble, red marble plinth

This work, attributed to the great Flemish master Giusto Le Court, an undisputed major figure of Venetian Baroque sculpture in the mid-17th century, is assumed to have been originally accompanied by a similar sculpture depicting the Virgin, based on documentation of other busts with this same subject made by the artist. Both sculptures find their most immediate and significant point of reference in the pair of busts placed together on the altar of the oratory of Ca' della Nave in Cittadella, where they constitute the focal point of an extraordinary sculptural cycle, executed by Le Court in the early 1780s, which includes the entire array of apostles, portrayed in half-length. This bust in the collection can therefore be dated to between the seventh and eighth decade of the 17th century. It shows the same remarkable formal qualities and excellent execution as the Cittadella marble, though it is perhaps characterised by more nuanced passages of chiaroscuro. There are no significant variations between the two versions, which differ only in certain details in the treatment of the folds of the robes.