MARCELLO MORTET Solid silver Naiadi Fountain

Marcello Mortet Solid silver Naiadi Fountain Rome, 20th century
The original Fontana delle Naiadi is located in Rome, in Piazza della Repubblica, and was built at the end of the 19th century based on a design by the architect Alessandro Guerrieri. The statues depict four water nymphs, each associated with a different aquatic environment: the Nymph of the Lakes, accompanied by a swan; the Nymph of the Rivers, with a river monster; the Nymph of the Oceans, with a sea horse; and the Nymph of the Underground Waters, with a dragon. At the center of the fountain stands an imposing sculptural group representing Glaucus, a symbol of man's triumph over the forces of nature.Marcello Mortet and his workshop reproduced numerous existing works in a reduced scale, starting with a meticulous study of the original, creating a wax model, which was then crafted using the lost-wax casting technique, or directly in metal, finished by hand with embossing and chasing. Among the works produced is also the reproduction of the Fontana delle Naiadi, distinguished by its extraordinary fidelity to the original. The piece rests on an elegant green marble base with a column, a material often used by the Bottega Mortet to enhance the contrast with the silver sculptures.The artist's signature is visible on the back.800/1000 silver, hallmarked "800 - MARCELLO MORTET ROMA".Marble basement dimensions: 155 x 52 x 52 cm. Silver fountain dimensions: 58 x 49 x 49 cm.Silver fountain weight excluding base: about 22 kg. Item condition grading: **** goodThe sculpture is in an excellent state of preservation with very few signs of wear and defects commensurate with its age and use over time. Two small cracks on the marble (in pictures).