Old Centaur
Maker
Fonderia Chiurazzi
(Italian, founded 1870)
Dateearly 20th century
MediumBronze
Dimensions55 x 19 x 40 in. (139.7 x 48.3 x 101.6 cm)
ClassificationsSculpture
Credit LineBequest of John Ringling, 1936
Object numberSN5035
Centaurs are creatures from Greek mythology with the upper body of a man and the lower half of a horse. They appear throughout Greek and Roman art, often as hunters. This statue is one of a pair of centaurs, one young, the other old, unearthed at the villa of the Roman Emperor Hadrian (ruled 117-138 AD) in 1736. Originally, on the back of each centaur would have sat the Greek god of love and desire, Eros, whose presence produces two diverging reactions: the young centaur gallops freely and snaps his fingers in delight, while the older has his hands tied behind him, his passion hindered by age.
On View
On viewLocation
- Museum of Art, Front Entrance
Set/Pieces in Set
