Chatsworth Apollo

See also: Apollo (homonymy)

The Apollon Chatsworth is a bronze sculpture dating from the fifth century BC whose head is preserved at the British Museum of London (GR. 1958.4-18.1), a fragment of leg undoubtedly being with the Musée of Louvre (Br 69).

The discovery

In 1836, a monumental statue certainly representing the god Apollon was discovered in the island of Cyprus, with Tamassos. Malhereusement, the sculpture broke during the release, and the head was sold in British Museum, while the body, according to the local legend, was used to melt a bell. Nevertheless, a leg entered by gift with the museum of Louvre in 1884 was recently brought closer to the head on technical considerations (the alloy is very close, and contains traces of Or, element rather rare in Greek bronze in general; more same cores them are extremely close).

Technique

The Chatsworth Apollo was molten with the Cire lost on negative (proceeded indirect) in a Bronze to approximately 9,5% of tin for 90% of Cuivre and 0,5 to 1% of Plomb. The fracture of the leg, located at the level of a zone of welding, showed that the alloy of welding is of comparable nature that of the jamabe, which emphasizes the great technical control of the Greek bronziers at this period, the welding of two metals fusing at the same temperature being excessively difficult, but allowing a homogeneous evolution of the skin of bronze. The metal of finish is molten of surplus, then worked over again in order to give again with the sculpture the modelled desired one.

Dating

The dating of the statue is discussed enough, even if the specialists agree rather on the date of 460 av. J. - C, with the hinge between the severe Period and the traditional time. If the leg does not make it possible to slice, the head presents a rather particular style: massive volumes, the broad jaw lower and the small mouth would indicate the severe style rather, but one notes anomalies in the treatment of the details, in particular in the fitting of the wicks of hair. Certain specialists thus could make think of a neo-classic work of first century BC, however, the place of discovery, Cyprus, a center rather far away from Greece Continentale, can also explain this phenomenon.

Sources

  • the Chatsworth Head on the site of British Museum
  • Br69 on the site of Louvre

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