Centuries-Old Sculpture by Trevi Fountain Artist Found at English Salvage Yard
A 27-inch maquette of Pope Clement XII by Pietro Bracci, potentially worth over $13,000, was discovered by a collector and is set to be auctioned.
A significant artifact from the 18th century, a sculpture by Pietro Bracci—the artist renowned for his work on Rome's Trevi Fountain—has been unearthed at a salvage yard in Wiltshire, England. The 27-inch tall maquette of Pope Clement XII was discovered by a collector and is now slated for auction, with an estimated value of up to $13,270.
Pietro Bracci was commissioned by the Roman Senate to create a bronze portrait of Pope Clement XII to commemorate the pontiff's contributions to the Capitoline Museums. This newly discovered maquette, believed to have been completed in the 1730s, offers a tangible link to that historical period.
The sculpture was initially acquired for $400 but is expected to fetch between $6,635 and $13,270 when it goes up for auction on October 8. Mark Yuan Richards, a furniture specialist at Woolley and Wallis, described the find as an "exceptionally exciting discovery."
"To have a rare eighteenth-century marble figure of Pope Clement XII by Pietro Bracci come to light, and now be offered for sale, is a remarkable opportunity," Richards stated. "Bracci was one of the great sculptors of eighteenth-century Rome, and this extraordinary survivor offers a tangible connection to the world of the papal court and the artistic splendour of the period."
