Lost Baroque marble by Trevi Fountain sculptor turns up in a UK salvage yard

A viral art-world find reported on 1 October 2026: a stained, lichen-covered marble sculpture spotted by a sharp-eyed collector in a Wiltshire salvage yard and purchased for £300 has been authenticated as a lost 18th-century maquette by Pietro Bracci, the Roman sculptor best known for the central Oceanus figure of Rome's Trevi Fountain. The 68cm model shows Pope Clement XII enthroned, wearing a triregnum papal tiara and a richly carved cloak, with winged cherubs and scrolls decorating the throne. It is believed identical to a lost bronze version that once stood in the Great Hall of Palazzo Nuovo on the Capitoline. Scholars have called it one of the most significant Baroque rediscoveries in Britain in years. The sculpture is estimated to fetch between £5,000 and £10,000 when it goes under the hammer on 8 October. How the marble ended up in south-west England remains unexplained. The story was picked up by LBC, Yahoo, ARTnews and Artnet, driving major online readership.