Quartermaine Hall

Artisan: Neil Carter
Date: 2022
Inscriptions: signed ‘Neil Carter’ (in gold, on the base)
Dimensions: 70 x 40 x 15 mm. / 2 ⅞ x 1 ½ x ⅝ inches (height x width x depth)
Inventory number: 2022.116
Intended Room: Gallery
Category: Sculpture

Provenance: Purchased directly from the artist’s Etsy shop in 2022.

The most famous version of Giambologna’s Mercury is now in the Bargello in Florence, having started its life in around 1580 as part of a fountain at the Villa Medici in Rome. Mercury, the messenger god, is shown in full flight, wearing his trademark winged helmet and winged sandals, and carrying his attribute of the caduceus. The pose is terrifically ambitious for the period: the very tip of his left foot is supported on a bronze gust of air, issuing from the mouth of Zephyr, whose head forms the base of the piece. Apparently, when the statue was part of the fountain, Zephyr’s head would have been partly hidden by the flow of water, so that Mercury seemed to be bursting unsupported into the air. Everything about the statue is infused with potential energy: the extended limbs; the twist of the body; the dynamic gestures.

Naturally, Neil Carter’s bronze miniature replica is a wonderful tribute to the original. His Mercury reflects every detail of the original, down to the delicate twist of the caduceus and the lines of his ribs on his torso. It is without a doubt the most refined and daring of Neil’s Renaissance replicas, and it had been on my wishlist for a while, as it has only recently come back into stock. Needless to say, I snaffled it immediately. It will probably end up in the Gallery; the only real alternative would be to display it on a table in the entrance hall, where it would immediately impress and captivate visitors. But that can be decided later. For now, we’re just thrilled to have it.