FONDERIA CHIURAZZI
Naples, 19th – 20th century
Perseus with the head of Medusa
burnished bronze, cm. 97 h
Faithfully reproducing in smaller scale the iconic statue by the Renaissance artist Benvenuto Cellini, today housed in the Loggia dei Lanzi in Florence, this refined bronze sculpture, portrays the mythological hero Perseus at the height of his triumph, proudly presenting the severed head of Medusa, the defeated Gorgon. The hero’s poweful anatomy contrasts with the lifeless body of the creature at his feet, while the richly adorned pedestal features decorative goat-head motifs and houses four Greek deities in ornate niches, framed by pilasters with caryatid busts.
A fine example of the renowned Chiurazzi foundry’s work, active in Naples between the 19th and 20th centuries, this piece reflects both the fortune of Cellini’s work and the studio’s specialization in casting bronze replicas of ancient sculptures. The foundry played a significant role in spreading Neoclassical taste and Renaissance fashion, embodying the fascination with classical and early modern heritage at the fin de siècle.
