Bust after the Medici Venus
Sculptor: Unknown
Bronze, cast, chased nad patinated
Bronze, cast, chased and patinated. Bust of a woman, facing left, with drapery, after the Medici Venus.
From the collection of Martin and Katharine Brunt. Accepted by HM Government in Lieu of Inheritance Tax and allocated to the Fitzwilliam, 2021.
Depth: 27 cm
Height: 68 cm
Width: 50 cm
Method of acquisition: Allocated (2021-05-10) by H.M. Government
Circa 1700 - Circa 1750
Probably made for a collector interested in classical antiquities, this bust is based on the Medici Venus, a 1st-century BCE life-size marble statue of Aphrodite, goddess of love. Considered from the later 1500s as the epitome of female beauty, the Medici Venus was frequently copied, normally as full-length reductions. Unusual in being full-size and incorporating drapery, this bust may have been displayed alongside some genuine ancient bronze or marble statues, in a grandiose entrance hall or library.
Patinated
Cast (process)
Chased
Accession number: M.2-2021
Primary reference Number: 288397
Stable URI
Owner or interested party:
The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department:
Applied Arts
This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:
The Fitzwilliam Museum (2025) "Bust after the Medici Venus" Web page available at: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/288397 Accessed: 2025-07-18 06:28:49
To cite this record on Wikipedia you can use this code snippet:
{{cite web|url=https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/288397
|title=Bust after the Medici Venus
|author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2025-07-18 06:28:49|publisher=The
University of Cambridge}}
To call these data via our API (remember this needs to be authenticated) you can use this code snippet:
https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/api/v1/objects/object-288397
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