Bronze runners from the early 20th century

Brown runners from the early 20th century inspired on a smaller scale by the famous sculptures currently housed in the Archaeological Museum in Naples.

Originally placed together with a twin statue in the large peristyle of Villa dei Papiri in Herculaneum, they are probably copies of a Greek sculpture from the late 4th - early 3rd century BC, celebrating a victorious athlete in one of the great Panhellenic games. 

The posture of the right arm extended forward, as if preparing to grasp something, suggests a warrior depicted in a guard stance, although the excessive tilt of the torso is unusual for this type of figure and the lack of foot mobility is not suitable for sports that require maximum ground grip. The slim musculature, with the left foot forward as if the athlete is at the starting line of a running race, with a sort of niche facilitating the initial push, strongly indicates a representation of a runner. The placement of two runner statues near a resting bronze Hermes statue, also preserved in the Naples Museum, makes a clear reference to the Gymnasium theme, where Hermes Enagōnios (Hermes as the judge of competitions, fights, contests) represented the protector god. 

In excellent condition, these ancient sculptures date from the first decades of the 20th century.

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