Boxer – Oil at 12 x 16 in. on 22 x 15 in. BFK Rives.
Discovered near the Baths of Constantine in 1885 Boxer at Rest, better known as ‘The Boxer’, asked scholars to re-exam long held ideas. Classical sculpture had previously been bound by exceptionalism. Boxer at Rest, in contrast, portrayed a broken old man. Bruised and battered he was by no means perfect. Much more expressive than hellenistic sculptures previously unearthed.
It’s become an icon. As is the sport it represents. A popular event during the hellenistic era boxing matches are mentioned as far back as the Iliad. Fights that fixated the public and became a favorite past time among the common men.
The sculpture is very ‘pop’. This fauvist recreation, completed in a few hours, merely attempts to pay homage and further distinguish a timeless work of art.
Sources:
https://www.metmuseum.org/blogs/now-at-the-met/features/2013/the-boxer
