I can understand, looking at this sculpture, the fascination the minotaur’s had in the past and over the centuries.
This splendid sculpture displayed in Rome in the Palazzo Massimo museum, shows the great contrast between beauty and the wild, intellect and nature.
The torso is really astounding while the head is so brutal!
It also depicts the inner essence of human beings, where both intellect or passions and violence coexist.
It was done on purpose back then, over 2000 years ago.
This is an ancient roman copy of a sculpture by the famous Miron. The minotaur bust was part of a sculptural group depicting Theseus fighting and eventually winning over the beast.
The inclination of the minotaur’s head suggests he’s going to be hit by Theseus.
The mythological story is aimed to assert Athens independence over the Cretan influence.
The king of Crete’s wife got this love affair with a bull (this story deserves another blog) and gave birth to the minotaur: half man half bull.
Since the Athenians had lost a war with Crete (or had killed the son of Crete’s king Minos –there are different version of the myth), together with the minotaur heating only humans, the Athenians had to send 7 boys and 7 maidens to Crete to fed the beast.
Theseus, the son of Athens’s king Aegeus, went to Crete to kill the minotaur and eventually succeeded.
Palazzo Massimo Museum
This splendid sculpture displayed in Rome in the Palazzo Massimo museum, shows the great contrast between beauty and the wild, intellect and nature.
The torso is really astounding while the head is so brutal!
It also depicts the inner essence of human beings, where both intellect or passions and violence coexist.
It was done on purpose back then, over 2000 years ago.
This is an ancient roman copy of a sculpture by the famous Miron. The minotaur bust was part of a sculptural group depicting Theseus fighting and eventually winning over the beast.
The inclination of the minotaur’s head suggests he’s going to be hit by Theseus.
The mythological story is aimed to assert Athens independence over the Cretan influence.
The king of Crete’s wife got this love affair with a bull (this story deserves another blog) and gave birth to the minotaur: half man half bull.
Since the Athenians had lost a war with Crete (or had killed the son of Crete’s king Minos –there are different version of the myth), together with the minotaur heating only humans, the Athenians had to send 7 boys and 7 maidens to Crete to fed the beast.
Theseus, the son of Athens’s king Aegeus, went to Crete to kill the minotaur and eventually succeeded.
Palazzo Massimo Museum
