Silver $28.37 Gold $2372.10 Platinum $935.00 Palladium $1025.00 Copper $0.28 Active: 444
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Milon De Crotone by Pierre Puget (1620-1694)

1682, Marble. 106.6" high.

According to legend, the famous athlete Milo of Crotona, in his later years, tried to separate two halves of an oak which had been split by an ax-blow. His strength having failed him, he could not remove his fingers from the cleft in the wood and was killed by wild beasts.

The ancient prize-winner of the Olympic games is represented here standing with his left hand caught in the tree. He seeks vainly, in his exhaustion, to ward off the lion already tearing at him with teeth and claws. His excruciating suffering is apparent not only in his face— his mouth twisted in a shriek of agony—but in every part of his body, bowed by the effort that flexes and stiffens his muscles as his clenched feet grip the ground. This suffering is not, in fact merely physical: the tragic death of the hero can be interpreted as symbolic of the destiny of man, who is triumphant in youth and then vanquished by age and natural forces.

The dramatic subject of this sculpture, the daring asymmetry of the composition and the contempt for traditional models, particularly evident in the colossal stature of the man contrasting with the relatively small size of the lion, make it a typically baroque work. Pierre Puget worked mostly in the south of France and made several trips to Italy, thereby avoiding the influence of the classical style employed by the Parisian sculptors of the Royal Academy. Louis XIV appreciated his talent, however, and specially commissioned this Milo of Crotona. Puget worked on it for nine years. The sculpture was placed in the park of the palace of Versailles in 1682 and, despite the reservations of the pure partisans of classical art who advocated greater moderation in the portrayal of feelings, it was at once regarded as a masterpiece.
298954
Viewed: Apr 18, 2024
Updated: Dec 30, 2023
Priced: Aug 07, 2022
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