Chimera of Arezzo

Chimera of Arezzo
Yearc. 400 BCE
TypeBronze
LocationNational Archaeological Museum, Florence

The Chimera of Arezzo is regarded as the best example of ancient Etruscan art.[1] The British art historian David Ekserdjian described the sculpture as "one of the most arresting of all animal sculptures and the supreme masterpiece of Etruscan bronze-casting".[2] Made entirely of bronze and measuring 78.5 cm high with a length of 129 cm,[3] it was found alongside a small collection of other bronze statues in Arezzo, an ancient Etruscan and Roman city in Tuscany. The statue was originally part of a larger sculptural group representing a fight between a chimera and the Greek hero Bellerophon. This sculpture is likely to have been created as a votive offering to the Etruscan god Tinia and is held by the National Archaeological Museum, Florence.

  1. ^ Cartwright, Mark. “Chimera of Arezzo”. World History Encyclopedia, 13 Jan. 2017.
  2. ^ Dobrzynski, Judith H. “The Imaginary Made Nearly Real.” The Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones & Company, 8 Feb. 2013, www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887323539804578264234269625580.
  3. ^ "The Chimaera of Arezzo" (PDF).