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, French, 1736-1797
Title
Adonis
Date1784
MediumMarble
Dimensions
164 x 49 x 48.5 cm
Credit LinePresented, 1878
Object numberNGI.8135
DescriptionPoncet established a reputation as an imitator of the ancient sculptors of the past and this example is based on two ancient sources: the Antinoüs in the Capitoline collection; and the Adonis, discovered in Centocelle in 1780 and displayed in the Museo Pio-Clementino. In drawing upon classical examples, Poncet was creating works in the popular neoclassical taste. His work was greatly praised in the contemporary press.

Adonis is portrayed at the moment of departing for the hunt. His quiver rests against a tree trunk, and in his right hand he holds an arrow. Originally he probably held a bow in his left hand.

Elizabeth Dominick Saint-George Usher commissioned the work for her daughter, for the sum of 300 zecchini, during a visit to Rome in 1784. Her daughter Emilia Olivia had married the 2nd Duke of Leinster in 1775 and the 4th Duke presented the statue to the Gallery in 1878.

(National Gallery of Ireland: Essential Guide, 2008)


ProvenancePresented, F.W. Fitzgerald, 4th Duke of Leinster, 1878Label TextA famous account of the mythological character Adonis is found in Metamorphoses, an epic poem written by the ancient Roman poet Ovid. According to this account, Adonis was killed by a wild boar while hunting. In this sculpture, French artist Poncet portrayed Adonis at the moment of departing for the hunt. His quiver rests against a tree trunk, and in his right hand he holds an arrow. In late eighteenth century Europe there was a renewed interest in the art of ancient Greece and Rome. Artists, including Poncet, responded to this taste by creating neoclassical artworks that referenced antique examples.