15. Important unpublished white group from Capodimonte depicting Tancredo and Clorinda, circa 1755 Modelled by Giuseppe Gricci, Tancredi wearing armour and a long coat, helmet and sword at his feet, holding the right hand of Clorinde who is seated on a rocaille base, her oval shield with lion mask and feathered helmet at her feet. H. 28.5 cm - W. 24.5 cm An important and previously unrecorded large Capodimonte white group of Tancred and Clorinda, circa 1755 Modelled by Giuseppe Gricci, Tancred wearing armour and a long cloak, a helmet and sword at his feet, holding the right hand of Clorinda who is laid on rockwork base, her oval shield with a lion mask and a plumed helmet at her feet. This important and previously unpublished group is part of a series of large, ambitious sculptures by Capodimonte based on the famous epic poem by the Italian poet Le Tasso, 'La Gerusalemme liberata' or Jerusalem Delivered. First published in 1581, the poem recounts a much-mythologised version of the First Crusade, in which Christian knights led by Godefroy de Bouillon battle Muslims to take Jerusalem. The fictional Clorinde is a female warrior in the Saracen army. She is first introduced in the second song of the poem, when she saves Sophronie and Olinde, two Christian lovers from Jerusalem, and reappears under the command of the King of Jerusalem, Aladin, to help defend the city. Tancred sees her on the battlefield and falls in love with her, refusing to fight her. But fate intervenes: during a night battle in which she sets fire to the Christian siege tower, she is killed by Tancred, who does not recognise her in her armour and in the darkness. A slightly larger terracotta version of the Tancredo and Clorinda group is in the Los Angeles County Museum, where it is described as probably coming from Naples and dating from around 1750. It is likely that this terracotta served as the bozetto for the final porcelain group, and that the other terracotta versions and their porcelain counterparts were all conceived by Giuseppe Gricci as part of a larger ensemble. A large Capodimonte sculpture of Godefroy at the tomb of Dudone is in the collection of the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne (D4-1991). It is probably related to the terracotta figure in the Museo Arqueológico Nacional in Madrid, Inv. 2016/134/1, attributed to Giuseppe Gricci. Olinde and Sophronie were also modelled by Giuseppe Gricci, and a porcelain example is in the Museo Palazzo Madama in Turin, while its terracotta model is in an Italian private collection, and both are illustrated in A. Carola-Perrotti, "Le porcellane dei Borbone di Napoli, 1743-1806" (1986), cat.no. 154 and 155. Carola-Perrotti also illustrates (op.cit. cat.no. 156) a terracotta model from a private collection depicting Herminie writing the name of Tancred in a tree. This large and previously unrecorded group is part of a series of ambitious large-scale Capodimonte sculptures based on the famous epic poem by the Italian poet Torquato Tasso, 'La Gerusalemme liberata' or Jerusalem Delivered. It was first published in 1581 and tells a largely mythified version of the First Crusade in which Christian knights, led by Godfrey of Bouillon, battle Muslims in order to take Jerusalem. The fictional character of Clorinda is a warrior woman of the Saracen army. She is first introduced in the second canto of the poem, when she rescues Sofronia and Olindo, two Christian lovers of Jerusalem, and the reappears under the command of the King of Jerusalem, Aladine, aiding that city's defences. Tancred sees her on the battlefield and falls in love with her, thus refusing to fight her. But fate strikes, when during a night battle in which she sets the Christian siege tower on fire, she is killed by Tancred, who does not recognise her in her armour and the darkness. A slightly larger terracotta version of the group of Tancred and Clorinda is in the Los Angeles County Museum, there catalogued as likely Naples and circa 1750. It it likely that this terracotta may have served as a bozetto for the final porcelain group, and that other terracotta versions and their resulting porcelain counterparts were all conceived by Giuseppe Gricci as part of a larger ensemble. A related large Capodimonte sculpture depicting depicting Godfrey at the tomb of Dudone is in the collection of the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne (D4-1991). It is related to the terracotta figure held in the Museo Arqueológico Nacional in Madrid, Inv. 2016/134/1, and there attributed to Giuseppe Gricci. Olinda and Sofronia were also modelled by Giuseppe Gricci, and a porcelain example is in the Museo Palazzo Madama in Turin, whilst its terracotta model is in a private Italian collection, and both are illustrated in A. Carola-Perrotti, 'Le porcellane dei Borbone di Napoli, 1743-1806'(1986), cat.no. 154 and 155. Carola-Perrotti also illustrates (op.cit. cat.no. 156) a terracotta model in a private collection depicting Erminia writing Tancred's name in a tree.