Walking in Piazza Signoria, the outstanding sculpture of Perseus by Benvenuto Cellini fascinates me always as the first time. It proudly dominates the left side of the Loggia dei Lanzi, a space first created to host public ceremonies of the government, then transformed by Cosimo I dei Medici into an outdoor museum of ancient sculptures, paert of the Medici collection.
This is the only sculpture expressly
conceived for that position by Cosimo I in 1554 with a precise and clear political meaning: the symbol of the "cut" with the republic and the beginning of his rulership. And a cut is what we have in front of us...precisely the cut of the head of the Medusa defeated by the mythological hero.
The statue of Perseus under the loggia dei Lanzi Piazza Signoria |
Benvenuto Cellini tells us about the extraordinary casting of this bronze statue in his biography, decribing it as an epic enterprise. This was created by a unique bronze casting differently from the previous bronze sculptures of this dimension which were usually created by
assembling different pieces.
Mr. Cellini left us his signature on the shoulder belt of the hero and as if it were not enough, using the hair of Perseus as beard he also left his self portrait on the back of the helmet.
Mr. Cellini left us his signature on the shoulder belt of the hero and as if it were not enough, using the hair of Perseus as beard he also left his self portrait on the back of the helmet.
Besides the story of its casting, what fascinates me of this scultpure is the mythological history of Perseus. His mother Danae was stucked in a room underground by her father Acrisio
because he did not want her to make children. A prophecy said that the
birth of Danae's son would have caused the death of his father or
grandfather.
Nevertheless Zeus managed to possess
Danae by transforming himself into a golden rain. From the union of
them Perseus was born. Danae's father got very angry and sent his
daughter and the baby Perseus on a boat away from the island. They
approached the the island of Serifo, which was ruled by Polidette, a
tyran who wanted to possess Danae. But Perseus was now a young and
strong boy who protected his mother. So Polidette invented a trick to
send Perseus away, by inviting him to lunch and asking a present.
Perseus offered to bring as a present the head of Medusa, one of the gorgons, a terrible monster with snakes instead of hair who had the power tonturn into stone those who watched her in the
eyes.
Medusa just after the cut of the head in a painting by Caravaggio |
He left Serifo with a sword given to
him by Ermes, winged sandals received by the nymphs, a magic
helmet (Ade helmet) which made him invisible and finallya shild given by Athena. Thanks to these magic trick ans most of all thanks to the shield where Medusa reflexed herself, Perseus beheaded Medusa and from her neck came out Pegaso, the winged horse (born by
the union of Medusa with Poseidon).
So many events behind a hero, so many things to tell in front of this amazing sculpture.
So many events behind a hero, so many things to tell in front of this amazing sculpture.
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