The Hours of Night and Day: A Rediscovered Cycle of Bronze Reliefs by Giovanni Casini and Pietro Cipriani

In this book’s breathtaking images, extensive documentation, and incisive analysis, a cycle of six highly important bronze reliefs representing The Hours of Night and Day is being published for the first time. Made in Florence at the beginning of the eighteenth century, these bronzes epitomize pre-modern notions about time, which are visualized through an elaborate array of mythological and allegorical components. In describing and deciphering the meanings and traditions of the scenes represented in these bronzes, the authors unveil a multi-faceted concept of time that is based upon the human perception of the Hours, while also pointing toward their otherworldly, magical dimension. The Hours of Night and Day is a celebrated masterwork in its own time and exemplifies the collaboration between painter and modeler Giovanni Casini and bronze sculptor Pietro Cipriani. The discovery of these long-forgotten bronzes and their connection to classical sculptures underscore Cipriani’s stature as a foremost bronze sculptor of his age. The book also documents the legacy of these bronze reliefs in derivative works created for subsequent generations, including variations used as decorations on vases and porcelain reliefs throughout the centuries.