A bronze sculpture after Giambologna brought the biggest surprise of the year in Paris when it fetched 7,7 million FF (almost US $ 1,2 million) on December 13th 1999 at Drouot.
This sculpture only carried a pre-sale estimate of between US $ 20,000 and 25,000. It was similar to Giambologna's model of a man holding a sabre in his right hand, known for a long time as Mars, the mythological war god. However the recent discovery of a similar statuette with the addition of a decapitated head held by the left hand induced some specialists to believe that the artist might have in fact tried to represent an executioner.
This statuette, probably produced around 1630-1640 by one of the pupils of Giambologna, Antonio or Gianfranco Susini, was of fine quality regarding its chiselling and patina. It went to Weingraf, a well-known dealer, after a fierce bidding battle despite the absence of the sabre in the hand of the subject.
This bid came as a complete surprise especially as it appears difficult for many experts top make correct appraisals for Renaissance and 17th Century bronzes.
This sculpture was surely not by Giambologna himself though it is not uncommon to fall across some of his works and many interpretations by other artists produced during the second half of the 16th Century. Even though, bids regarding such works rarely reach the US $ 500,000 mark. In fact much depends on the quality of a bronze, notably its subject, its patina, its chiselling and its lightness.
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