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Giambologna

River God (The Virile Age; The Euphrates)
Now On View

Maker

Giambologna (Flemish, 1529-1608)

Title

River God (The Virile Age; The Euphrates)

Year

ca. 1575

Medium

Materials/Techniques

Techniques

Materials

terracotta

Dimensions

48.3 x 43.5 x 31.8 cm (19 x 17 1/8 x 12 1/2 inches)

Credit / Object Number

Credit

Museum Works of Art Fund and Museum Special Reserve Fund

Object Number

44.674

Type

Publications

Exhibition History

European Galleries
Sep 02, 2017

Label copy

This ceramic sculpture of a river god glorifies the human body, a key interest of Humanism. Balancing on one foot, the figure creates an impression of exaggerated physical strength.

The artist made the work as a model for his Fountain of the Ocean, a multi-figural monument commissioned by Cosimo I de’ Medici for the Boboli Gardens, adjacent to his palace in Florence. This figure may have been presented by the artist to his patron in gratitude for the commission, and perhaps in homage to his patron’s virility.

Intermission
Dec 16, 2016 – Jul 02, 2017
The Natural World, the Body, and the Divine
Feb 03, 2006 – Apr 16, 2006
From the Reserve I
Paintings of Quality from the Museum's Collection
Apr 09, 1994 – Aug 03, 1994

Image use

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Public Domain This object is in the Public Domain and available under a CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication

Tombstone

Giambologna (Flemish, 1529-1608)
River God (The Virile Age; The Euphrates), ca. 1575
Terracotta
48.3 x 43.5 x 31.8 cm (19 x 17 1/8 x 12 1/2 inches)
Museum Works of Art Fund and Museum Special Reserve Fund 44.674

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