Enzo Plazzotta (Italian/British, 1921-1981)
The Swan (Life-Size)

labelled with the artist's copy stamp and the Mariani Foundry mark (on the marble base)
bronze with brown patina on a marble base
Cast in 1970 from the edition of 9, with two additional artist's copies (the present cast is one of the two artist's copies)

Dimensions: 215.9 cm. (85 in.) high (including the base)

The estate of the artist, October 2021, from whom purchased by the present owner

Exhibited:
London, The Grosvenor Gallery, Enzo Plazzotta, 10 Jun-10 Jul 1970, cat.no. 26 (col.ill, another cast)
Norwich, Kings Lynn Festival, 1971 (another cast)
New York, Acquavella Galleries, Plazzotta, 4 Dec 1973-5 Jan 1974 (another cast)
London, Marjorie Parr Gallery, Plazzotta, October 1975 (another cast)
London, Italian Institute of Culture, Mar-Apr 1976 (another cast)
London, Bedford College, Regents Park, Enzo Plazzotta, Jul-Aug 1980 (possibly the present cast)

Literature:
Carol Plazzotta and Richard O'Conor, Enzo Plazzotta: A Catalogue Raisonné, 1986, p.50, cat.no.125 (col.ill.) (possibly the present cast)

Enzo Plazzotta trained at the Accademia di Brera in Milan under Giacomo Manzù and Francesco Messina. He came to Britain after the Second World War, in which he had played an active role as a partisan in the Italian resistance. He continued working in London in a classical figurative tradition, inspired by great sculptors of the past such as Michelangelo and Rodin. His work was popular in the 1960s and 70s, until his untimely death in 1981. He was interested in mythological and religious themes as well as capturing figures in movement. The present work represents a myth from Greek and Roman mythology in which the Spartan Queen Leda was seduced by Jupiter, king of the Gods, disguised as a swan.

We are grateful to Carol Plazzotta for her assistance in cataloguing this lot.

A masterful study in tension, grace, and mythological drama, The Swan (Life-Size) exemplifies Enzo Plazzotta’s lifelong fascination with the poetry of the human body in motion.

Born in Italy, Plazzotta trained at the prestigious Accademia di Brera in Milan under the tutelage of prominent sculptors Giacomo Manzù and Francesco Messina. Following the Second World War, during which he served courageously as a partisan in the Italian resistance, Plazzotta relocated to Britain. Settling in London, he dedicated himself to a classical figurative tradition, drawing deep inspiration from the expressive power of historical masters such as Michelangelo and Auguste Rodin. He enjoyed profound popularity throughout the 1960s and 1970s until his untimely death in 1981, celebrated particularly for his ability to translate fleeting physical movement into solid bronze.

The Swan tackles one of the most enduring subjects of Greco-Roman mythology: the seduction of the Spartan Queen Leda by Jupiter, King of the Gods, disguised as a magnificent swan. Plazzotta’s interpretation is remarkably dynamic. Leda is captured in a moment of rapturous surrender, balanced delicately en pointe with her back dramatically arched and her head thrown back. The heavy, textured wings of the swan envelop her, creating a striking visual contrast between the smooth, sensuous curves of the female nude and the rugged, powerful plumage of the bird.

Coming directly from the artist’s estate in 2001, this rare artist’s copy boasts impeccable provenance. It stands not only as a testament to Plazzotta’s exceptional technical skill, cast beautifully by the renowned Mariani Foundry, but also as a breathtaking focal point for any collection of modern figurative sculpture.