Abduction of Polyxena c. 1855

bronze, sculpture

narrative-art

sculpture

bronze

figuration

sculpture

history-painting

"Abduction of Polyxena" is a bronze sculpture by Pio Fedi, created around 1855. The dramatic scene depicts the abduction of Polyxena, a Trojan princess, by the Greek hero Neoptolemus. The sculpture captures the intensity of the moment, with Polyxena struggling against her abductor while her father Priam lies dead at their feet. Fedi's work is characterized by its powerful realism and emotional depth, making this a powerful and moving depiction of a famous Greek myth. This sculpture is currently housed at the Minneapolis Institute of Art.

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minneapolisinstituteofart about 1 year ago

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The dramatic subject of this sculpture fuses a tragic chain of events from the ancient Greek play, Hecuba by Euripides, into one arresting scene. The sculptor shows a young Greek warrior, Neoptolemos, carrying away Polyxena, the beloved of his late father Achilleus, who lies lifeless on the ground. Neoptolemos raises a sword, with which he is about to stab the young woman to death for revenge. In vain, her mother, Hecuba, implores him to stop. Fedi created this sculpture as a model for the colossal marble sculpture, Abduction of Polyxena (1856-1866), which was installed in the Loggia dei Lanzi in Florence. Placed amid several very famous Italian sculptures from classical antiquity and the Renaissance, Fedi’s sculpture group became instantly famous itself for its drama and technical mastery, having been carved out of a single block of marble.