Pietro Bracci Self-researched
Born: 1700, Rome Died: 1773, Rome Source: self-research
Italian Late Baroque sculptor best known for carving the monumental marble statue of Oceanus at the Trevi Fountain. Bracci took over the sculptural program in 1761 and completed the central figure based on Giovanni Battista Maini's plaster model. He also executed the tritons and hippocamps that frame the central composition.
Artworks
Tritons with Hippocamps Self-researched
Two tritons guide Oceanus's shell chariot, each controlling a hippocamp (sea horse). One triton blows a conch shell to announce the god's approach, while the other struggles to tame a wild hippocamp. The contrast between the calm and agitated horses symbolizes the moods of the sea.
Oceanus (Neptune) Self-researched
The colossal central figure of the fountain, depicting Oceanus (the personification of all seas and oceans) standing in an oyster-shell chariot. The god commands the waters with a gesture of authority. Bracci carved the marble sculpture based on a plaster modello by Maini, who died before completing the work.