Abduction of a Sabine
(opens in a new tab) (opens in a new tab) (opens in a new tab) (opens in a new tab)
(Note: Each icon above opens in a new tab.)
| Artist | Unknown ; Giambologna (French b.1529, d.1608) |
|---|---|
| Title | Abduction of a Sabine |
| Alternative Title | Rape of a Sabine |
| Period | 17th century |
| Description | A 17th century version of the small bronze of the same subject by Giambologna. This bronze relates to one of Giambologna's most famous works, a large marble Abduction of a Sabine in Florence. A man lifts a young woman high above his head. She appears to be screaming and struggling for all her worth to get free of his hold. Desperately she stretches out her arms, her eyes are wide open with fear. The attacker stands over a hunched up old man, raising his hand to protect his face. The soft, smooth body of the woman contrasts with the hard, muscular body of her abductor. This spiralling group of figures is in its original marble form much larger than the bronze. The figures twist around an imaginary central axis. The statue can be viewed from all sides, there is no definitive angle. The dynamic twisted poses and dramatic gestures provide pictural stength. This kind of statue, featuring figures in intricate poses, is typical of the Mannerist style. A complex group of figures such as this, which is aesthetically pleasing from all sides, was regarded in its day as the ultimate achievement. This sculpture illustrates an episode from the early history of ancient Rome. An intrepid Roman abducts a Sabine woman; her father looks on, powerless. Not long after the foundation of the city many adventurous young men came to live within the walls of Rome, to build a new future for themselves. But the city had a major drawback: there were no women. The Romans, unable to obtain wives peacefully, staged a festival, invited the neighboring Sabines, and, at a signal from their leader, Romulus, each violently seized a Sabine woman. Plutarch has described to this legend the origin of the custom of lifting up a bride and carrying her over the doorstep of her husband's house. Certainly in Italy, in the fourteenth through the seventeenth centuries, the incident was viewed as a heroic, patriotic act as it served to the foundation of their nation and civilisation. The Sabine women were revered as the mothers of the first Romans. The Sabine legend was considered essential to the founding of Roman family life and to the future of the nation. The theme inspired artists troughout the centuries. Using the excuse of a classical story, artists had free rein to depict tumultous scenes of old and young people, men and women, violence and sex. In ancient Rome, raptus meant "carrying off by force;" it was a crime of property and included thefts of all kinds, it had no implicit sexual connotation. However, the subject of rape in the classical sense of the word, formed into renaissance works of art, could be seen as erotica for the male viewer. Poems published on the occasion of the unveiling of Giambologna's Abduction of the Sabine Woman imagine young men lured to the statue by the Sabine woman. One poet, Bernardo Davanzati, writes: "This, my Giambologna, is your Sabine from whom you burned with desire...." Giambologna’s marble Abduction of the Sabine Woman, was displayed publicly. Grand Duke Francesco de Medici ordered it installed in the Loggia dei Lanzi , which is situated on the south side of the main square in Florence, the Piazza della Signoria, and at right angles to the Palazzo Vecchio, the seat of political power. Here the sculpture publicly proclaimed the power of the Medici dynasty. |
| Material | bronze (metal)/copper alloy/nonferrous metal/metal/inorganic material/materials (substances) |
| Dimensions | height: 59.5 cm |
| Type | Sculpture |
| Subject | mythological scene |
| Collection | Art Collection ; Torrie Collection |
| Accession Number | EU0657 |