L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, JULY 27, 2023 www.italoamericano.org 10 L'Italo-Americano i n t o a m a r b l e s t a t u e t h a t weeps with tears over her loss. The Romans were well aware that the gods did not look kindly upon vain citi- zens, despite the great power t h a t R o m e w i e l d e d i n t h e M e d i t e r r a n e a n a n d o t h e r parts of the known world. Perhaps the most provoca- tive of the marbles is that of Hermaphrodite, the offspring of Hermes and Aphrodite. Lying prone on one side, the marble is a dramatic expres- sion of Romans' puzzlement over cross-gender or nonbi- nary people. Viewed from the back, it appears as though it is yet another idealized por- t r a i t o f t h e f e m a l e b o d y . However, upon circling the marble, the viewer suddenly r e a l i z e s t h e t r u t h . I t i s a delightful sculptural ploy in which we fall prey to our own assumptions. The existence of the sculpture and Her - m a p h r o d i t e ' s w e l l - k n o w n place in Roman mythology speaks to the Romans' accep- tance of cross-gender people among them. Hermaphrodite gives us pause to reflect on our con- temporary values. Recontex- tualized in our own era, the sculpture would ignite a fiery discourse over cultural values and mores if displayed pub- licly in the US. But there are n u m e r o u s c o p i e s o f t h i s sculpture throughout Europe, one of which can be found in t h e U f f i z i . F o r c e n t u r i e s , sculptural nudity has out- raged travelers from the US. O n l y r e c e n t l y p a r e n t s o f school-age children living in Florida declared Michelange- lo's David pornographic. But for the Greeks and Romans, as well as Renaissance artists, t h e h u m a n f o r m w a s a n object to be appreciated. In an adjacent room, there is a delicately rendered life-size sculpture of a modest and crouching Venus just after her bath. Greek, Roman, and Renaissance artists all cele- brated the human form as an image of who we are or what we aspire to be. There is also a rare bronze of Dionysus, the Greek god of fertility. This is a Roman copy of a Greek original. It has a dramatic history: workers found it buried in the mud in 1885 while excavating the foundations for the Ponte Garibaldi. One theory is that in anticipation of an inva- sion, it was hidden in the river and then forgotten. Its location in the river reminds us of the Bronzes of Riace, whose discovery off the coast of Calabria in the Mediter- ranean still puzzles art histo- rians. S t e p s a w a y a r e t w o bronzes that inspire as much speculation over their origins as any of the works in the c o l l e c t i o n . I n o n e r o o m s t a n d s t h e i d e a l i z e d f u l l - body bronze that bears the title The Hellenistic Prince, yet another portrait of the idealized human form. Cre- ating a dramatic contrast to the prowess of the youthful prince, in the same room is another remarkable bronze, the Boxer at Rest. The his- torical plaque informs us that both were also found b u r i e d , t h i s t i m e o n t h e Q u i r i n a l H i l l d u r i n g t h e excavation for the National Theater. Though they were f o u n d t o g e t h e r , t h e y a r e from different periods. The P r i n c e i s a r a r e o r i g i n a l Greek bronze. How it sur- v i v e d f o r s o m a n y y e a r s before its burial is anyone's g u e s s . I t i s a r e m a r k a b l e e x a m p l e o f t h e s t y l e t h a t w o u l d f i n d i t s u l t i m a t e expression in the works of Michelangelo and his con- t e m p o r a r i e s d u r i n g t h e Renaissance. Next to the Prince is The Boxer at Rest, of Roman-era o r i g i n s . I t a l l b u t d e f i e s description. If artistic skill defines any of the works in the collection, the anony- mous artist who created the Boxer takes artistic expres- sion in bronze to another level. In Greece and Rome, pugilists were revered ath- letes, as long as they were in their prime. But this athlete i s a n a g e d , b e a t e n , a n d bloodied boxer, who, given the condition of his swollen face and disfigured ears, is at the end of his career. Seated, slumped, and exhausted, he is perhaps just fresh from his final defeat at the hands of some youthful, faster, and s t r o n g e r o p p o n e n t . W i t h scars from earlier battles and with bleeding wounds, he sits, his face glazed in defeat, a t t h e e n d o f h i s a t h l e t i c prowess as a boxer who was once showered with acco- l a d e s f r o m a d m i r i n g Romans. Is he now to be cast aside, as of no worth to his once-admiring fans? Or will Romans find a way to honor him in his old age? From his strained posture and his sor- rowful gaze, it is not likely. He inspires our profound sympathy and concern for his fate. The Boxer is a lump o f m e t a l , b u t t h e a r t i s t behind his creation made him truly human. Perhaps the most impor- tant aspect of the Massimo's collection is that it gives us an insight into the histori- cal context in which these s c u l p t u r e s w e r e c r e a t e d . Roman artists, like Renais- sance artists, were also con- sidered mere artisans in the service of their rich patrons. I t i s w e l l k n o w n t h a t Michelangelo's father was appalled that his son wanted to become an artist, a profes- sion of little status in Flo- rence at the time. In fact, Florentine artist Alan Pas- c u z z i , i n h i s r e m a r k a b l e book Becoming Michelange- lo, tells us that to burnish his name, Lorenzo de' Medici e s t a b l i s h e d a s c h o o l f o r sculptors in Florence where a y o u t h f u l M i c h e l a n g e l o l e a r n e d t h e r u d i m e n t s o f sculpting marble. O n e o f t h e h i s t o r i c a l plaques informs us that in their efforts to elevate their s o c i a l s t a n d i n g , R o m a n s established workshops in G r e e c e a n d R o m e , a n d trained sculptors to make copies of Greek originals. T h e u p s t a r t , p r o v i n c i a l Roman citizens, among their more sophisticated Etruscan neighbors, were intent on distinguishing themselves by buying and placing beautiful works of art in their villas. Pascuzzi tells us that Loren- z o , l i k e w i s e , i n t e n d e d t o adorn Florence with statues j u s t a s A t h e n s a n d R o m e were. Few if any of the sculp- tures in the Palazzo Massimo identify the Roman artists. Nevertheless, their anony- mous works are a testimony to an artisan and creative tradition handed down by Greek and Roman cultures that would, one day, give birth to the Renaissance in I t a l y a n d t h r o u g h o u t Europe. Ken Scambray's most recent book is Italian I m m i g r a t i o n i n t h e American West: 1870- 1940 (Univ. of Nevada Press, 2021) Roman copy of Myron's Discobolus at Palazzo Massimo (Photo: Carole Scambray) Palazzo Massimo boasts the most extensive collection of Roman sculptures of any museum in Italy or Europe. Only the Torlonia Collection of 619 sculptures will challenge the Massimo when it finally finds a permanent home LIFE PEOPLE PLACES HERITAGE Continued from page 8

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