HADRIAN'S VILLA: THE BARBERINI CANDELABRA

The Barberini Candelabra - almost unknown - were found in the seventeenth century in the Accademia of Villa Adriana by the owners Bulgarini. They were restored assembling together different fragments, and then were donated or sold to Cardinal Francesco Barberini, who was Governor of Tivoli from 1624 to 1631.

Over two meters high, they have a triangular base decorated with very fine bas-reliefs, depicting Ares, Aphrodite and Athena in the first candelabrum, and then Zeus, Hera and Hermes in the second. Higher up is a frieze with palmettes and lions' heads. The stem is composed of overlapping vegetal tufts that support a large marble bowl in which a bronze brazier must have been placed.

The figures of the gods are real miniatures approximately 40 cm high, with extremely accurate details and surprising realism. As always, these are unique pieces of excellent quality, custom made exclusively for Emperor Hadrian.

Ares wears a Corinthian helmet with a crest supported by a figurine of a winged griffin near which is a small lion.

Aphrodite has a lotus flower in her left hand. She wears a cape lifted by the wind, and mall round buttons can be seen on the sleeve of the chiton.  

Athena has an Attic helmet with a crest supported by a figurine of a Sphinx (whose head is partly visible), flanked by two winged horses. Long locks of hair fall over the shoulders and partly hide the Aegis with scales and small snake heads. she holds a cup in his hand from which an enormous snake drinks.

Zeus is dressed only in the chlamys, richly draped over the shoulder and on the left arm which holds the scepter. In his right hand, where even the veins are visible, he holds the thunderbolt.

In 1766 Thomas Jenkins – one of the most enterprising art dealers in Rome – purchased them from the Barberini princes to resell them to some English nobleman.
Fortunately Winckelmann and Cardinal Albani (at the time Director of the Arts in Rome) prohibited their export, so the Candelabra were one of the first purchases of the newly founded Pio-Clementino Museum.