Borghese Gladiator

Maker Fonderia Chiurazzi (Italian, founded 1870)

Dateearly 20th century

MediumBronze

Dimensions65 x 44 x 71 in. (165.1 x 111.8 x 180.3 cm)

ClassificationsSculpture

Credit LineBequest of John Ringling, 1936

Object numberSN5125

Shortly after its excavation in the early 17th century, this sculpture entered the collection of Cardinal Scipione Borghese (1577-1633) in Rome and soon became one of the most admired and copied works from antiquity. It was praised for showing a range of motion, a development of the Hellenistic period, and was of special interest for the detailed rendering of the human anatomy. Although for a long time erroneously believed to show a gladiator, the statue instead depicts a heroic warrior armed with shield (now missing) and weapon (the right arm added later), engaged in combat with a mounted enemy.

On View

On view

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