Exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1877, this bronze sculpture is titled Athlete Fighting a Boa but is sometimes called Athlete Strangling a Boa or Athlete Fighting a Boa. Furthermore, this sculpture depicts a dramatic scene of life and death. Apparently, the sculpture depicts a well-proportioned male nude wrestling with a large snake.
Details of the Bronze Sculpture:
First, we could see that the man is a muscular athlete wearing a garland of flowers. The athlete stands with his legs apart, pushes the python’s head away with his right hand, and grasps the python’s body with his left hand behind his back. The python circled the athlete’s left thigh twice. Also, the boa constrictor’s body is bent over the athlete’s back. But the python’s mouth opened wide as it was strangled, letting out a death pang. The work realistically depicts the musculature of the figure and the scales of the snake with contrasting textures. The piece is designed as a spiral, so it must be viewed comprehensively from multiple angles.
The Bronze Sculpture is a Symbol of Wealth:
Leighton cast the work in bronze without prior commissioning, a sign of his artistic confidence and wealth. At the time, new imaginative works preferred pure white marble. But Leighton’s work revived interest in darker materials.
Second, Leiden created a second full-scale sculpture of a male nude. This bronze sculpture is The Sluggard, sometimes titled “The Athlete Awakening From Sleep”. The piece was inspired by his sketches of model Giuseppe Valona. The original bronze measures 1.911 x 0.902 x 0.597 meters (75.2 inches by 35.5 inches by 23.5 inches). Leighton’s third and final bronze sculpture was a much smaller female nude. This interesting bronze artwork depicts a girl frightened by a toad.
Who is Frederick Layton?
Lord Frederick Leighton was one of the most famous British artists of the 19th century. Recipient of many national and international awards and honors. He was familiar with members of the royal family, as well as most of the great artists, writers, and politicians of the late Victorian era.
He was born into a medical family in Scarborough, Yorkshire. His father is a doctor. Also, his grandfather was an attending physician to the Russian imperial family in St. Petersburg, where he amassed a fortune. Leighton’s career was always aided by family wealth, and his father paid him a stipend throughout his life.
Details of The Sluggard:
This life-size bronze sculpture is titled The Lazy Man. This sculpture has a perfect male body. Moreover, a balance between the real and the ideal is achieved in bronze sculpture. It’s modern in the way it captures moments and languid poses. But contrived in the way it emphasizes the muscles and represses all individual individuality. Sluggard was made for exhibition at the Royal Academy. The fig leaf that hides the penis is a convention. This approach is intended to counteract any sexual attraction when the sculpture is on public display. Leighton produced a few sculptures, but like his paintings, they were based on the technique of outline.
Complete Reproduction of the Sculpture:
Our artists are so experienced that they could make full replicas and fully sculpted prototypes for you. And the muscles and body charm of this bronze sculpture could also be fully displayed for you. First, our artist would sculpt a clay model of the same size.
By making a clay model, you could better grasp the details and expressions of the sculpture. Of course, if you think that the sculpture needs to modify some details, our artists would also provide professional insights and guidance. Moreover, we would also listen to your opinions and make reasonable modifications and beautifications.
Of course, we could also provide you with pure natural marble Frederic Leighton sculpture. Marble is the best choice for carving classic sculptures, and the pure color could promote the depth of everyone’s appreciation of artwork.
If you want sculptures by the artist Frederick Layton please feel free to contact us. Our professional sales would provide you with a series of casting details and preferential factory direct quotations.