Bust of a Young Man

Silver-inlaid eyes and excavated pupils give this bust figure of a young man a piercing gaze and an arresting presence. Working in bronze, the artist, Pier Jacopo Alari-Bonacolsi, called Antico, realistically depicted such finely finished details as the man's downy facial hair and the heavily undercut mass of his luxuriant curls. Antico copied a Roman marble portrait bust now owned by the Hispanic Society in New York City, possibly as part of a series of bronze heads made for Isabella d'Este's grotto in the Gonzaga palace in Mantua. The outdoor fantasy setting of her grotto project incorporated both ancient works and contemporary pieces made specifically for the project. Because of his reputation for reviving ancient forms--the source of his nickname--Antico's sculptural work was perfectly suited to Isabella's project. He adopted the bust format, hollow at the back with a rounded truncated chest, from classical works.