Our World - Renaissance sculptures

One of the best things I love about Florence is that you don’t need to visit galleries and museums to see fine art especially if you’re running out of time or money. You can easily find art almost everywhere you go. This is one of the fine examples of an outdoor art gallery we came across at Loggia dei Lanzi. It houses a wonderful collection of thought provoking sculptures from the Renaissance period.



The first to stand out under the arcade is Benvenuto Cellini's Perseus (1545-1554) with the severed head of the Medusa complete with blood gushing from the neck. It's really gruesome and fascinating at the same time!



This is one of my favourite artworks and as seen here is the Rape of Sabine Women (1579-1583). It's an interesting piece that depicts two Romans fighting over the Sabine woman.



This is also another timeless masterpiece which depicts Hercules fighting with his opponent, Centaur Nessus. Hercules has him by the neck and is throttling him mercilessly.



The Rape of Polyxena by Pio Fedi (1866) is an illustration of Trojan War and it depicts the abduction of Polyxena by Achilles. Looking at his feet is her mother, Hecuba, clinging and pleading for her return in desperation as Achilles raises his sword, ready to strike her down.




and here's one of the two imposing marble lions that welcome visitors on the entrance steps.

Our World