14 DAY TRIAL // This Monday, historians with the Fitzwilliam Museum in the city of Cambridge in the UK unveiled a pair of gorgeous sculptures that they say could be the work of Renaissance artist Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni, better known simply as Michelangelo.
The sculptures, featured in the photos accompanying this article, are made of bronze and show two men riding scary-looking panthers. They each stand about 1 meter (3.2 feet) tall.
It is understood that, this coming Tuesday, the statues will go on display at the Fitzwilliam Museum. However, they will only remain in the public eye until August 9. Otherwise put, those hoping to have a close look at them should hurry up and book a flight to Cambridge, UK.
The sculptures could be Michelangelo's only surviving bronzes
By the looks of it, the reason the sculptures are just now going on display is that, until not long ago, they were the property of a private collector who preferred to keep them hidden. Eventually, this collector agreed to let the Fitzwilliam Museum have them, be it only for a short while.
Historians and other experts working with the Fitzwilliam Museum say that, having carried out a series of investigations, they found evidence that the two bronze sculptures were made by Renaissance artist Michelangelo sometime between the years 1506 and 1508.
Thus, researchers who have had the chance to closely examine them say that the statues are clearly the work of an artist who was quite passionate about the anatomy of the human body. Hence the fact that the two men shown by these sculptures are both muscular.
“Even a peroneal tendon is visible, as is the transverse Arch of the foot,” explained researcher Peter Abrahams with the University of Warwick. “Whoever made them clearly had a profound interest in the male body. The anatomy is perfect,” added art expert Victoria Avery.
What's more, specialists say that these statues are strikingly similar to Michelangelo's David and the human figures depicted on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Hence, it could be that the sculptures are the Renaissance artist's only surviving bronzes.
Further investigations should solve the mystery once and for all
The thing about historians and art experts is that being kind of, sort of right does not exactly sit well with them. Otherwise put, the two bronze statues will soon be subjected to all sorts of other tests that will hopefully help solve the mystery surrounding their origin and their creator once and for all.
Should things go as planned, an international conference detailing the outcome of these investigations will be held on July 6. Here's hoping that, by then, researchers will know for sure whether or not the sculptures are, in fact, the work of Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni.
