Borghese Warrior c. 17th century

Curator: Here we have what is known as the Borghese Warrior, a bronze sculpture dating to around the 17th century and residing here at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. Editor: My goodness, he looks furious! Ready to pounce, too. Bronze skin practically vibrating with tension. You can feel the energy, right? Curator: Absolutely. Think of this within the context of baroque sculpture. We are not dealing with the stoic detachment of classical figures. We’re in a world of heightened drama, raw emotion, and movement. Note the way the sculptor captures him mid-stride, a figure coiled and ready to unleash. There's an underlying exploration here, of the narratives attached to power, masculinity, and vulnerability...the latter somewhat suppressed by performative rage, it seems. Editor: Vulnerability? Hidden well beneath all those very sculpted muscles! I just see a dude about to totally lose it, clutching a sword. What is it that sets him off like this, I wonder. Some lover's quarrel blown sky-high? Curator: Possibly. He seems consumed by some past transgression. This work invites us to analyze and interrogate those representations. It demands of the viewer questions on how patriarchal systems throughout time inform, and in effect damage, human lives, especially in communities of color, the LGTBQ community and of course in this particular instance, the life and person of an aggressive man. Editor: Okay, you’re right to check that macho energy… And speaking of his build, all rippling like that, almost a bit much, makes you question, what price does he pay for holding it all in? Curator: Precisely! In our own moment, and from the perspective of identity politics and power, that internal pressure finds an external expression in violence. And ultimately this sculpture acts like an artefact loaded with multiple conflicting emotions; there's some anger there, but some distress too. Editor: He does look trapped. What you're pointing out gives the sculpture such layers. Looking at it now, knowing how to read the clues you shared—I feel compassion and even...fear. A chilling beauty of the dark masculine spirit, held tightly at bay. Curator: And perhaps seeing ourselves a little better too, through that mirror darkly. Editor: Very thought-provoking. Next time I think I am "being a man," I should think again about whether I’m ready to turn myself into the borghese warrior. I'll get a nice chamomile tea instead.