{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O312599"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O312599/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2023NR0638/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2023NR0638/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2023NR0638","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2023NR0639","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2019LY7647","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O312599/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O312599","accessionNumber":"A.40-1947","objectType":"Bust","titles":[{"title":"Democritus","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"This bearded middle-aged man laughing is a representation of the ancient Greek philosopher Democritus. In the 17th and 18th centuries, he was often paired, in contrast, with a representation of another Greek philosopher, Heraclitus, known as the ‘obscure’ or ‘weeping’ philosopher. \r\nBusts of philosophers became particularly popular in Venice during the second half of the 17th century, as demonstrated by the recurring presence of this type of subjects in palaces inventories of the time and by the number of works that have survived. The images of philosophers represented introspective thinking and invited the viewers to reflect on the meaning and fragility of life, in a similar manner as the depiction of Vanitas. Among the various philosophers represented, not all identifiable, the Heraclitus and Democritus pairing became most frequent and of clearer moralising intent: one crying, the other one laughing at the vanity of the human condition (see Guerrieri 2002, pp. 82-88).\r\nOne of the earliest sets is the Heraclitus/Democritus pair carved by Michele Fabris (c. 1644-c. 1684) and Giusto Le Court (1627-1679), formerly at Palazzo Mocenigo in Venice and now in the Museo de Arte in Ponce, Puerto Rico. This pair formed a prototype followed by other artists such as Giacomo Piazzetta, Melchior Barthel, Giovanni Toschini, Giuseppe Torretti. \r\nMany of the Venetian philosopher busts were often attributed to Orazio Marinali, one of the most renown sculptor of those days. This pair had however remained anonymous until it was convincingly attributed to Alvise Tagliapietra (1670-1747) by Simone Guerriero (2002). The context of their commission remains unknown. ","physicalDescription":"Marble bust of Democritus shown as a laughing man of young middle age. The head with forked beard and loose hair looks upwards to the left. He wears a full cloak over his right shoulder caught by a strap over his left shoulder which is exposed.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Tagliapietra, Alvise","id":"AUTH385169"},"association":{"text":"probably","id":"THES285218"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"marble","id":"AAT11443"}],"techniques":[{"text":"carved","id":"AAT53149"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"carved marble","categories":[{"text":"Sculpture","id":"THES48896"},{"text":"Portraits","id":"THES48906"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"SCP","id":"THES48600"},"images":["2023NR0638","2023NR0639","2019LY7647"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"61","id":"THES49744"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"bust","id":"AAT47457"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Venice","id":"x29237"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"early 18th century","earliest":"1700-01-01","latest":"1750-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[{"object":{"text":"A.39-1947","id":"O312600"},"association":"Pair"}],"creditLine":"Given by F.D. Lycett-Green, Esq. through the National Art-Collections Fund","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"70","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"Given to the Museum in 1947 by F.D. Lycett-Green, Esq.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Bust, marble, of Democritus, attr. to Alvise Tagliapietra, Venice, early 18th century","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Simone Guerriero, \"La alterne fortune dei marmi: busti, teste di carattere e altre\", in Giuseppe Pavanello (ed.), <u>La scultura veneta del Seicento e del Settecento: nuovi studi</u>, Venice, 2002, pp. 73-149, esp. p. 85 and fig. 34 on p. 120."},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"<i>Exhibition of Seventeenth and Eighteenth century Italian Sculpture</i>, (exh. cat. Colnaghi, London,19 February-17 March 1965), under no. 3-4."},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Comparative literature on the representation of Heraclitus and Democritus: Oreste Ferrari, “L’iconografia dei filosofi antichi nella pittura del sec. XVII in Italia”, Storia dell’arte, no. 57, 1986, pp. 103-181, esp. pp. 120-123"}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[{"text":"Democritus (of Abdera)","id":"N3580"}],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"Democritus\r\nAbout 1700\r\nThe ancient Greek philosopher Democritus is shown as a laughing man in early middle age with a forked beard. Busts of classical figures were popular in the 18th century. Democritus was often paired with the ‘weeping philosopher’ Heraclitus, shown here on the left. [43 words]\r\nVenice \r\nMarble\r\nMuseum no. A.40-1947","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null}}],"partNumbers":["A.40-1947"],"accessionNumberNum":"40","accessionNumberPrefix":"A","accessionYear":1947,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-02-10","recordCreationDate":"2009-06-24","availableToBook":false}}