AN ITALIAN BRONZE MODEL OF MERCURY

In the early 19th Century Benedetto Boschetti fed the growing demand for high quality works of art with an antique theme created by an influx of grand tourists, many of whom were English. Little is known about his life, but he is known to have worked out of his workshops in the centre of Rome where he produced a large number of classically inspired objects ranging from bronzes to tabletops and mosaics. Active circa 1820-1870, the Boschetti workshop exhibited at the Crystal Palace Exhibition in 1851. The workshop was renowned for the exceptional quality of its copies after the 'Antique', mainly in marble and bronze.