Da Un Modello 1580

Giambologna made this bronze sculpture of a nude male figure, sometime before his death in 1608. The figure's dynamic pose and the sharp detail achieved in the bronze casting give it a striking sense of life. Bronze casting is an indirect process, beginning with a model typically made of wax. This is then invested in a heat-resistant material, and molten bronze is poured in. The wax melts away – hence the term “lost wax casting.” Once cooled, the mold is broken, and the bronze can be chased – that is, refined with chisels, files, and abrasives. The amount of labor involved in creating even a relatively small bronze like this is immense. It speaks to the economic conditions that made such artistic refinement possible. While the artist’s concept is important, it is also crucial to appreciate the craft and skill required to bring it into being. In the end, the sculpture’s beauty emerges just as much from the hand as from the mind.