Mars

Originally this statue had a pendant, now lost, representing Venus. This is the largest and only surviving free-standing ivory by Francis van Bossuit. This statue was published as a work by Van Bossuit as early as 1727 in Matthys Pool’s ‘Beeld-snyders Kunst-kabinet’. This work, an early example of an art book in several languages, is devoted entirely to the work of the ivory carver. It contains more than 100 engravings reproducing a considerable part of Van Bossuit’s oeuvre. The prints, made after the drawings by Barent Graat, show the master’s ivory, wooden, and terracotta statues from different angles.