Chimera of Arezzo Sculpture Analysis

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Chimera of Arezzo Sculpture Analysis The work of art I will be analyzing is the Chimera of Arezzo sculpture from the art of the Etruscans. I will be analyzing the the look of this piece of art as well as the axis, palette, texture and stance of the figure. I will also describe what history I can find on the piece and what may have been happening during the time of its creation. As previously stated, I will be analyzing the Chimera of Arezzo. This piece of art is a bronze sculpture in the round that is roughly 80 cm in height. I was not able to find the other dimensions of this sculpture, only the height. The artist is also unknown. The Chimera of Arezzo was found in Arezzo, which is an ancient Etruscan and Roman city in Tuscany. It is believed the Etruscans created this work of art around 400 BCE, over 2000 years ago! The Chimera of Arezzo is a bronze sculpture in the round of a chimera. The bronze is well, bronze color, no additions at all and the texture of the sculpture seems to be smooth over most of the body. This chimera has the body and head of a lion. The claws are clearly defined and going up from them, you can see where each tendon and bone would be if it were a real lion. The realism is striking. Going further up the sculpture, we can see that this chimera is malnourished from the indent and small size of it's stomach area. The rib cage is also well defined as well as some of the hip bones. Going further up, there are some odd sort of spikes that protrude from the back of the lion along it's spine. Perhaps they are there to convey fur or hackles of some sort. Going now to the head of the lion, its mane is beautifully depicted with pieces of bronze bent backwards in a somewhat realistic pattern. The texture ... ... middle of paper ... ...ve been a part of a votive set indicates that it most likely had great significance to the culture and person who owned it. I find it interesting that the sculpture itself depicts a Greek mythological creature even though it has the inscription of an Etruscan god. Perhaps it is a sign of the influence the Greeks had on Etruscan artwork as a whole. The detail of this sculpture suggests it was most likely quite expensive especially if it was in a set. Perhaps nobility of some sort or simply a wealthy commissioner had this piece made. That is my analysis of the Chimera of Arezzo. This piece is stunning and beautifully made. It is a wonderful example of the mix of religions/mythology that comes from cultures mixing. It is personally one of my favorite pieces of art and for a good reason. The Chimera of Arezzo is an amazing bronze sculpture in the round from 400 BCE!

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