Un Marte “da galleria”, opera di
Giovanni Baratta
Vittoria Brunetti
Around 1736-1737 Giovanni Baratta sculpted two medallions with the portraits of Mars and Minerva for the façade of the Royal Palace of La Granja de San Ildefonso, designed by the architect Filippo Juvarra. The appearance of another version of the Mars on the art market sheds light on Baratta’s working method and on his entrepreneurial talent. This article researches into the formal and aesthetic differences between the prototype and this second version, suggesting the possible function and destination of the latter.