Of course, they
have been cleaned and studied from every possible angle to find a prominent
place in the National Museum of Reggio Calabria (see: More about Magna Graecia: a testimony from
One would assume that all the questions about these magnificent statues have been answered, but there still is a long way to go.
For instance, we
don’t know whether we have a pair of bronzes, and, if so, who are they? Based
on their appearance, scholars are pretty sure they were created in Attica or in
Dating these masterpieces is another challenge, although it is generally accepted that they belong to the fifth century BC.
[Picture from Bensozia]
Probably raided by the Romans in II century BC and exposed in Rome for centuries.Then sent to Constantinople around V century AD and sunk with their ship. Is said that the fishermen around that zone say that the devil tear their nets. Maybe are the statues carried by that ship and again on the bottom of the sea.
ReplyDeleteThe Bronzes went down on their way from Rome to Constantinople? With other such statues?
DeleteFrom Rome to Costantinople. Around V century many masterpieces were brought to Costantinople (for exemple the famous San Marco's horses,stolen by Romand from some Hellenistic monument and brought to Rome,and after some centuries under Italia sun carried to Costantinople for the hippodrome). The last survivors masterpieces of painting were shipped too. And over there? The famous art critic Federico Zeri wondered: "when died the last greek masterpiece of painting? Was in Rome in some decaying and abandoned palace? Or was in Costantinople in the great fire of Nika riots? Maybe the crusaders that plundered Costantinople could see in the Imperial palace some very faded and ruined from bad restorations paint of Zeusi or Apelles or Aetion or Parrasius? who knows?
ReplyDeleteYes, right the Fall of Rome in 476 AD, how could I forget? The Eastern Roman Empire could do with some more stolen artifacts to parade their wealth beside the famous horses (which, I thought were made especially for the hippodrome of Constantinople?)
ReplyDeleteRome looted the treasures from Macedonia and Asia Minor, and the surviving choice pieces were in turn taken to Constantinople. Not much survived the madness of the Crusaders. It is indeed a tantalizing idea to imagine the last faded paintings and half-broken statues created by the great Greek masters falling into their dirty hands!
Has the world ever learned?