A GILT-BRONZE MODEL OF THE FLAGELLATION

There has been considerable debate concerning the attribution of this Flagellation group, which has at various points been attributed to two of the leading figures in Baroque Rome, Alessandro Algardi and François du Quesnoy. The group exists in two types, in which the figure of Christ is always consistent but the pair of flagellators are different. In light of Bellori's attribution of a pair to du Quesnoy (G.P. Bellori, Le Vite de' pittori, scoltori e architetti moderni, ed. Evelina Borea, Turin, 1976, p. 301-302) and the notation in Ercole Ferrata's inventory of a pair by the same artist (V. Golzio, 'Lo "Studio" di Ercole Ferrata,' Archivi, II, 1935, pp. 70), Jennifer Montagu has suggested that one of the types originated with Algardi and the other du Quesnoy. The present group is seemingly unique in being the only known version in which one flagellator is taken from each type (Montagu, Alessandro Algardi, vol. II, London, 1985, p. 315).

The engraved 'PC’ on the calves of each figure has been interpreted as a reference to the Florentine Palazzo Corsini. Other sculptures from this collection, however, do not bear any such monograms; the engravings’ significance thus remains to be resolved.