0101 Committenze europee di scultura veneziana nel Settecento

Una panoramica e alcune ipotesi di lavoro

Abstract

Research on the European success of Venetian art during the 18th century has above all examined the activity of the painters. This paper analyzes the works of Venetian sculptors through some important case studies. Attention is given to several commissions of sculpture from Russia (among them works ordered by Peter the Great from 1719 to 1723), German states (Prussia, Saxony and Bavaria), Sweden and England. The analysis also concerns Venetian intellectuals who played the roles of mediators, such as Anton Maria Zanetti and Francesco Algarotti. The comparative study of these commissions allows us to formulate hypotheses about who were the most praised sculptors and whether there was a taste for specific artistic tendencies. It seems, for example, that British clients mainly appreciated classical sculptors like Antonio Gai and Giovanni Marchiori, in contrast to other countries, where also baroque artists were valued. The article also notes the case of Antonio Corradini, who operated for several years abroad, in Vienna and Dresden. There is finally also the attempt to outline some ideas and starting points for further research on this topic; among them an enquiry about taste for Venetian baroque sculptures in the 19th and 20th centuries.