Fortuna on Pedestal
Fortuna on Pedestal
With the dawn of the Rococo, people moved away from the pathos of the Baroque era – lightness and dynamism were now considered “modern style”. The little Fortuna is a wonderful symbol of this transition. Franz Anton Bustelli designed the goddess of fortune in 1755⁄57. She has freed herself from her bonds and is balancing bravely on a sphere. With the help of a piece of cloth that she is holding in the wind, she is trying to fight the volatility and keep her balance. A purse containing gold coins that has fallen to the ground symbolises that wealth, too, is transient.