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Giovanni Battista Foggini (Florence, 1652 - 1725) "Allegorical portrait of Medici as Neptune" Grey marble sculpture. From the ducal quarry. Foggini was an Italian architect and sculptor. He first trained as a painter, although he soon abandoned this technique in favour of sculpture. In 1673 Cosimo III de´ Médici sent him to Rome to study at the Florentine Academy, where he studied under Ercole Ferrata for three years. His great virtuosity soon became apparent, as his first sculptures show, including "The death of the children of Niobe” a terracotta which is currently kept in Florence, and “Adoration of the Shepherds”, a marble sculpture kept at the Hermitage, among others. He was named premier sculptor in 1687 on his return to Florence, after the death of Ferdinando Tacca, and later, in 1695, premier architect. He was also superintendent of the ducal foundry and of the Medicis´ carving and stone workshops. Throughout his career he worked on many monuments and also did portraits, such as the one kept at the Prado, “Charles II on horseback”, which he forged in gilded bronze in 1698, or the one of Cardinal Giancarlo de´ Medici (Victoria and Albert Museum, London) His art and style prevailed, thanks to his disciples, until the arrival of neoclassicism. Bibliography: MONTAGU, "Il primo relievo in marmo del Foggini", in: Arte Illustrata, 1973, vol. VI, pp. 331-338. MONACI, "Inediti foggini", in: Paragone, 1974, vol. XXV, nº 289, pp. 48-67. MONACI, Disegni di Giovanni Battista Foggini (cat. Exhibition.), Florence, 1977. VISONÀ, Carlo Marcellini. Accademico "Spiantato" nella cultura fiorentina tardo-barroca, Ospedaletto, 1990, pp. 147-184. 51 x 44 x 21 cm.