Antonio Giorgetti

This masterful sculpture by Giorgetti is thought to be a “bozzetto” (preparatory study) for the head of “The Angel holding the Sponge”, also by him, which was designed as one of the ten sculptures of angels holding symbols of the Passion which flank the Ponte Sant’Angelo in Rome. This work strongly shows his oscillation between the influence of the two great protagonists of Roman sculpture of the mid-17th century, Bernini and Algardi. This can be seen especially in the rendition of the cascading curls of the angel and the volumes of the face which closely adhere to the stylistic traits championed by Algardi, his teacher.