MASSIMO PALACE - NATIONAL ROMAN MUSEUM (fourth part)

Seventh Room - Exceptional Bronzes from Via IV Novembre

“Boxer” about 100/50 BC

“The realism of the representation deliberately enhances the contrast between the realism of the Hellenistic boxer with the heroic ideals of classical athletes. His body and face swollen and bruised depict a grim reality even if not an annihilating one, which is contrary to the simplicity of the pose and to the beard and hair orderly styled in linear curls reminiscent of the classic styles. Figures like this show that the continuing interest for features of the Hellenistic Baroque style merges with limpid classical reminiscences” (John Griffiths Pedley)

“Hellenistic Prince” about 150 BC

“The eclecticism of the composition is apparent on one hand in the polykleitos matrix expressed in the weight and solidity of the body, on the other hand in the obvious reminiscences of Lysippus seen in the structure, size and character of the head, in the rhythm of the work that cites the 'Alexander with the Spear' and in the gesture of the right hand resting on the buttock, in direct allusion to the 'Erakles at Rest' of the sculptor from Sicyon” (Mario Torelli, Mauro Menichetti, Gian Luca Grassigli)

Eighth room - Neo-Attic statuary production and decorations

“Aphrodite demure” first century BC signed by Menophantos from the Botanical Gardens on Celium Hill, connected to the tradition of Aphrodites started with the Aphrodite of Cnidus by Praxiteles

“Unlike the Cnidian one, the Aphrodite of Menophantos shows traits closer to the human sphere, as revealed by the fearful expression of the face that doesn't have anymore the godly detachment of the Praxiteles' model. Compared to other replicas, original elements remain in this case the toiletries box at the feet of the goddess and the resumption of the theme of the towel held on the womb, which seems to even want to emphasize the modesty of the creation of Praxiteles or, rather, a form of ambiguous game that attracts the viewer's eye on the covered areas” (Brunella Germini)

“Headless Athena” from Celium Hill echoing the Athena Parthenos by Phidias

“Cylindrical base with Maenads dancing” first century BC in Pentelic marble from the Sciarra Collection

“Muse” perhaps Melpomene of the Melpomene Farnese type

“Neo-Attic basin” early first century BC in Pentelic marble from Lungotevere in Sassia with transport of weapons of Achilles forged by Hephaestus after Thetis' request

“Figurative late Hellenistic language inspired from models of Pergamon. The functionality of the basin as a fountain which, in all likelihood, was destined to be part of the decoration of the garden of a wealthy Roman villa, was assured by a median hole, through which water ran to be poured from the rim, so as to make more naturalistic the decoration with the marine cortege” (Brunella Germini)

“Neo-Attic frieze with Nike and bull” about 60 BC inspired by the reliefs of the Temple of Athena Nike in Athens

“Altar with archaistic Graces” end of first century BC from the Appian Way

STAIRCASE

Statues of “Zeus”, “Apollo” and “Dionysus”

INAIL PALACE

PALAZZO DELL'INAIL

Via IV Novembre 144

1928/34 Armando Brasini (1879/1965)

“Brasini used the languages of the past, the classical and the baroque in particular, not passively and academically, but, in fact, creatively, considering them not as closed systems to be applied blindly but as open systems to be investigated again, asking them questions that had not been raised previously. Also the Eclecticism of the nineteenth century had been able in many cases to identify the way of creativity facing new functional themes, new dimensions and new technology, but in the use of historical languages it had adopted with few exceptions (Nash, Richardson, Antonelli, Basile) an instrumental attitude. Brasini came out of the eclectic orthodoxy looking for a continuation of styles, a search for an all-out development of the architectural language that would make it suitable for a different climate, a heroic climate, which could then seem credible and rich of future developments. It should not be forgotten that we are in the decades of the true and false revolutions that would have to choose between two types of rhetoric, the one proven by history and one to be invented, the rhetoric of modernity in action. The outcome was gigantism, rhetorical excess, theatricality imposed by the nascent film industry, but also the creation of works blessed by creative restlessness” (Paolo Portoghesi)

INAIL is the Istituto Nazionale per l'Assicurazione contro gli Infortuni sul Lavoro (National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work)

Built on the site of the demolished Teatro Drammatico Nazionale (National Dramatic Theatre) by Francesco Azzurri (1831/1901), on the site of which, during the construction in 1888, the Hellenistic bronze statues of the “Boxer” and of the “Hellenistic Prince” had been found

The two masterpieces are now in the Museo Nazionale Romano at Palazzo Massimo