Oil lamp in the form of a bearded athlete balanced on his knees 1520 - 1530

Curator: Isn’t he something? This incredible object, dating back to 1520-1530, is an oil lamp crafted from bronze. It’s currently housed right here at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It’s in the form of a bearded athlete balancing, improbably, on his knees! Editor: It’s wild! He looks…almost burdened by his own physique. Sort of melancholic, despite the athleticism on display. What's with the choice of an athlete for an oil lamp? Curator: It’s the Renaissance, darling. They were mad for the classical world! Athleticism, strength, the idealized male form... and you get the useful function of a lamp, too. The piece is attributed to Agostino Zoppo. Can you imagine him conceptualizing it? Editor: It feels so intimate for a functional object. And what labor went into this? We talk about bronzes all the time but to get that level of detail, that patina... I wonder how many hands touched this before it even became a lamp. Were they athletes too? Were they thinking of the divine when molding those glutes? Curator: Maybe! Or maybe they were thinking about getting paid! But I like your romantic idea. Bronze casting itself, especially back then, involved teams and specialized knowledge. It would've been a collective creation. The light from the lamp dancing on his body-- the intention seems clear to create beauty out of utility. Editor: Definitely utility plus artistry. It makes you consider how we value different forms of labor and craft now, compared to the Italian Renaissance. Curator: Exactly. We're so caught up in the ‘fine art’ label, we forget these incredible pieces often served everyday purposes. Can you imagine seeing that warm bronze glow in the dark? Magical, almost like the figure was brought to life each time the lamp was lit. Editor: Makes me think about who could even afford such a luxury. Someone commissioned this, craved the spectacle of the divine and capable human form, wanted him, day in, day out, as a burning monument to what they valorized. The cost! Curator: Well, I think what remains of such beauty and creation after so long is really humbling. And perhaps that bronze glow touched more hands than we’ll ever know. Editor: Definitely more stories locked in the metal than we imagine.