Two Men Fighting a Lion
Unknown Artist
17th–18th century (?)
Medium
Bronze, with black lacquer patina
Dimensions
Height: 14 1/2 in. (36.8 cm)
Classification
Sculpture-Bronze
Culture
Italian, Florence
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Friedsam Collection, Bequest of Michael Friedsam, 1931
Accession Number
32.100.186
Tags
Art Historical Context
Behold the dynamic bronze sculpture *Two Men Fighting a Lion a captivating work from Florence, Italy, dating tentatively to the 17th–18th century. Standing at 14½ inches (36.8 cm) tall, this small-scale piece captures raw intensity: two muscular men grapple fiercely with a snarling lion, their bodies twisted in combat. Crafted in bronze with a striking black lacquer patina it exemplifies the Florentine tradition of finely cast metalwork, where artisans achieved lifelike detail through lost-wax techniques, allowing for intricate anatomy and movement. Florence's bronze sculptors, building on Re...