Statuette of Jupiter

Italian
16th century, Bronze, marble base

Standing with her feet resting directly on the marble base, this figure holds three thunderbolts in her right hand which identifies her as Jupiter. With her left hand, the deity holds a garment to modestly cover herself; on the back, it drapes up along her back and is attached, near the shoulder, to a strap that falls diagonally across her chest. It is possible that the statuette was originally the top part of an andiron: if this is the case, a circular bronze base must have been removed from under the figure's feet. As for its creator, despite earlier attributions to Jacopo Sansovino or Alessandro Vittoria, Girolamo Campagna is perhaps a more likely candidate, because of the gentle pose of the deity's hips, which would suggest a date just after 1600; none of the known variants, however, can be directly attributed to the sculptor from Verona.