A previously lost model of Pope Clement XII, described as a “masterpiece”, has been discovered in a reclamation yard in Wiltshire. Created by Pietro Bracci, best known for carving the Oceanus at the Trevi Fountain, the maquette was sold for £300 before it was set to go on auction on October 8.
The sculpture depicting Pope Clement XII, whose papacy lasted from 1730 to 1740, stands at 27in tall. Auctioneer Mark Yuan-Richards stated that he believed the piece had been lying in a garden in Andover, Hampshire for decades.
