433 - Pair of Riace Warriors, based on models from antiquity – Italian School – first third of the 20th century

Pair of Riace Warriors, based on models from antiquity – Italian School – first third of the 20th century A pair of sculptures made of patinated plaster, inspired by the Riace Warriors, reinterpreting one of the most iconic models of classical Greek sculpture with a contemporary sensibility. Both figures feature idealized anatomy and a heroic posture, preserving the characteristic contrapposto, the vigorous torsos, and the expressive serenity that evoke the ideal of physical perfection and spiritual balance inherent in Hellenic art. However, their execution employs a thoroughly modern language: the modeling of the plaster emphasizes the plasticity of the forms through surfaces of great tactile richness and a volumetric treatment that accentuates the dynamic tension of the body and enhances its expressiveness. The choice of plaster, in addition to harking back to the academic tradition of copying and studying classical sculpture, allows for a contemporary reinterpretation of the celebrated Greek model. The Riace Warriors, also known as the Riace Bronzes, are among the masterpieces of 5th-century BC Greek sculpture. These are two original bronze statues depicting, respectively, a young warrior and an older one, housed in the National Archaeological Museum of Magna Graecia in Reggio Calabria, Italy. Along with the Poseidon in the National Archaeological Museum of Athens and the Charioteer of Delphi, they are among the few surviving original bronze works of ancient Greek art. Discovered in 1972 off the coast of Riace, in the province of Reggio Calabria, they owe their name to this discovery. Although both share a similar stylistic language and extraordinary technical quality, studies have identified significant differences in their execution, leading to various hypotheses about their authorship. The most widely accepted interpretation is that they were made by two different sculptors, probably associated with the same workshop, although the possibility ...