Badende kvinde 1544 - 1608

This bronze statuette of a bathing woman was created by Giambologna, a Flemish sculptor active in Italy during the late Renaissance. Bronze wasn't exactly an everyday material, but it was increasingly common in Italian workshops at the time. You can see from the figure's smooth, dark surface that it was cast using the lost-wax method, a complex process involving a mold made from a wax model. The bronze would have been poured in molten, and then the surface would be worked to a high finish, through filing and polishing. The making of bronze sculpture in Renaissance Italy required considerable division of labor: from the mining and smelting of the metal, to the expertise of model-makers, casters, and finishers. Giambologna's own studio was a large-scale operation, reflecting the period’s burgeoning mercantile economy. In this context, the art object transcends mere aesthetics, embodying the intricate web of labor, skill, and materials that define its creation.