ADAM'S Country House Collections Day II - 28th April 2026

21 Country House Collections | 27 th - 28 th April 2026 432 A PAIR OF CARVED ALABASTER FIGURES OF DAVID AND CINCINNATUS AFTER MODELS BY GIAN LORENZO BERNINI (1598-1680), 18TH CENTURY inscribed ‘Statua di Davidstatua’ and ‘Statua qinto Cincinato’. 61cm high Provenance: Tomasso Brothers These alabaster figures were crafted as keepsakes for dis- cerning Grand Tourists who wished to bring home memen- tos of renowned sculptures from both ancient Rome and the Roman Baroque era. Each figurine bears an inscription identifying its subject. Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus, an esteemed statesman from the early Roman Republic, embodied the epitome of Roman virtue. Despite being banished from public life due to the actions of his son, he responded to the Republic’s calls for help by twice leaving the seclusion of his farm. On both occa- sions, he assumed his responsibilities, rescued the Republic, and, instead of clinging to power, willingly returned to his rural exile. The depiction of Cincinnatus, seemingly in the act of fastening his sandals to fulfil his civic duty, draws in- spiration from an antique model that evolved from a statue of Hermes by the addition of a plough in certain variations. The finest antique marble renditions of this imagery can be found in the Louvre, Paris, and the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotheck, Copenhagen. The statue of David, on the other hand, represents a cre- ative interpretation of Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s dynamic David sculpture housed in the Galleria Borghese, Rome. In this al- abaster version, the sculptor has somewhat awkwardly sub- stituted a helmet for David’s sling, presumably to stabilize the outstretched arms, albeit at the cost of losing the essen- tial iconography. The juxtaposition of Cincinnatus and David may appear unconventional, yet they could have been part of a more extensive collection featuring virtuous historical figures. € 5,000 - 7,000 431 AN ITALIAN WHITE MARBLE BUST OF FLORA supported on a socle base, 57cm high Provenance: Private Collection, Co. Wicklow. € 800 - 1,200