Archaeologists find \’exceptional\’ bronze statues in Italian thermal baths

A SUMMARY OF THE MOST EXCITING ART NEWS FROM AROUND THE GLOBE

While we focus on Indian art, we can’t obviously function in a vacuum. It’s a small world and everything is connected, especially on the web. So, let’s train our spotlight across the world map to see what’s going on — from art trends to socio-political issues to everything that affects the great aesthetic global consciousness. Or, let’s just travel the world and have some fun!

Exceptional bronze statues discovered in Tuscany

Archaeologists have found more than two dozen bronze statues dating back to ancient Roman times in thermal baths in Tuscany, Italy, which experts are hailing as an “exceptional” discovery. Among the beautifully preserved statues — all about 2,300 years old — are figures of the god Apollo and Hygieia, goddess of health. “It is a very significant, exceptional finding,” said Jacopo Tabolli from the University for Foreigners in Siena who is leading the archaeological project. He added: “[It’s] a discovery that will rewrite history and on which over 60 experts from all over the world are already at work.” The statues were found over the last two weeks in San Casciano dei Bagni, a hilltop town about 160 kilometres north of Rome. Mr Tabolli said the statues used to adorn a sanctuary before they were immersed in thermal waters in a sort of ritual, “probably around the first century AD.” Read more on The National News.

German authorities seized $5 million art from Russian Oligarch\’s superyacht

Thirty paintings owned by sanctioned Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov have been seized by German police, the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung reported on Monday. Earlier this year, citing close ties with the Kremlin and Russian President Vladimir Putin, the European Union sanctioned Usmanov in response to Russian’s invasion of Ukraine. Usmanov’s collection, which includes works by seminal artists like Marc Chagall, has an estimated value of €5 million ($4.9 million). Until 2021, the works were being displayed on Dilbar, Usmanov’s $600 million superyacht. At that time, while the yacht was being renovated in Hamburg, the art was moved into storage. Details on Artnews. 

Pearl on Musee d\’Orsay\’s Paul Gauguin sculpture

An important Gauguin sculpture from Tahiti is not what it seems. Although entitled Idol with a Pearl, the pearl on the forehead was actually added nearly 30 years later, long after the artist’s death. Evidence for the addition has been discovered in the diary of George Daniel de Monfreid, a friend of Paul Gauguin. The Musée d’Orsay in Paris, which owns the sculpture, may therefore consider retitling it. Idole à la perle—or Tii à la perle(Tii is a Tahitian deity)—was carved in local tamanu wood by Gauguin in 1892. Although now renowned for his paintings, he was arguably the most radical and imaginative sculptor of his time, mixing European and Polynesian motifs. The symbolism of Idole à la perle remains enigmatic. It depicts a naked female in a lotus position, sitting in a niche, overlooked from behind by the larger head of another woman. Although Gauguin was interested in Polynesian culture, his understanding of their seemingly exotic religious beliefs was limited. Gauguin’s South Seas sculptures emerge partly from his perception of Tahitian society, but mainly from his own imagination. Read on Art Newspaper.

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