Bronze, now on exhibition at
the Royal Academy of Arts is exhilarating viewing! It is an incredible international
collection on a scale never yet attempted of over 150 bronze sculptures forming
an exciting display from Ancient Greek, Roman and Etruscan bronzes, to Medieval
and Renaissance works by Rodin, Picasso and Henry Moore. Professor David Ekserdjian,
its curator has brought sculptures together, categorised into themes : heads,
animals, reliefs and gods to name but a few which stretch across eras, side by
side, from 400 BC to the 1950s!
The highlight as you enter
the exhibition is simply magnetic: The Dancing Satyr, circa 4th
Century BC from ancient
Greece. He hovers above your head, a striking dancer, discovered
from the west coast of Sicily
uplifted from the sea, and found by fishermen in 1998. The leg
was discovered first and then
in 1999 the remaining body of the sculpture was raised from the depths, the
bronze oxidised by the water. He stands alone, heroic and unique. There is
nothing like him anywhere in the world!
On loan from Florence, the
Etruscan Chimaera of Arezzo sculpted circa 400 BC, embodies a
monstrous lion with serpent’s
tail and a goat’s head which grabs the attention. Animals include a turkey by
Giambologna and an extraordinary oversized spider by Louise Bourgeois. ‘Baboon
and Young’, by Picasso, in 1951, incorporates toy cars belonging to his son
Claude! Not to be missed is the Chariot of the Sun, found in 1902 in Denmark
preserved in a peat bog , from 14th century BC!
It is a fascinating
exhibition to thrill and amaze you, and I recommend it to anyone until
December 9th 2012...
by Gemma Darlington
Gemma is a FOCUS member and a jewellery specialist and gemmologist of Gem’s Fine Jewels
More information on the Bronze exhibition at The Royal Academy of Arts
Visit the FOCUS website www.focus-info.org
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