Duelist

Description

The sculpture represents a young man in a defensive position, the work originally served as a "pendant" to another similar but smaller figure. The group represented the so-called "Duelists" who were placed in one of the niches around the Vasca dell'Isola; today there are copies on site, while the originals are kept in the "Stanzonaccio" in the Boboli Gardens. The sculptures were part of a group of thirty-two statues that decorated the "cypress niches" of the Vivaio dell'Isola. The "Duellanti" were made by Domenico Pieratti in 1564, the year in which payment for the sculptures of 90 scudi is documented (Pizzorusso 19 89, pp. 96-97; Capecchi 2008, p. 106; ASF, Scrittoio delle Regie Possessioni, f. 4127, cc. 73-LXXIIJ). The villans were probably holding weapons, now lost. The sculptures were restored in 1758 and 1762 by Francesco Jansen (Capecchi 2008, p. 106, no. 530-531; ASF, Segreteria delle Finanze ante 1788, f. 434, fasc. 1762, ins. Note of the statues in the Imperial Boboli Garden which were damaged after the compensation made to them in the year 1758)