Paul Manship's 'Atlanta' Bronze Statue on Marble Plinth
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(After) Paul Manship (1885-1966) 'Atlanta' cast bronze statue on green marble plinth, circa 1970, 93 cm high overall. Manship created his original 'Atalanta' in 1921. In Greek mythology, the lovely swift-footed maiden Atalanta could run faster than all others. Because a prophecy warned her to avoid marriage, she challenged each of her suitors to a footrace ? death being the penalty for defeat. While observing the races, a handsome youth named Hippomenes fell in love with Atalanta and challenged her, hoping to gain her hand in marriage. The young suitor invoked the aid of Aphrodite, the goddess of love, who presented him with three golden apples. During the contest, Hippomenes dropped the apples one at a time, each of which Atalanta paused to pick up. The delays allowed Hippomenes to win the race and to take as his bride Atalanta, who was secretly pleased by the race's outcome. Flying dolphins, a common motif in ancient Greek art, adorn the sculpture's base.
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- Circa - A Latin term meaning 'about', often used in the antique trade to give an approximate date for the piece, usually considered to be five years on either side of the circa year. Thus, circa 1900 means the piece was made about 1900, probably between 1895 and 1905. The expression is sometimes abbreviated to c.1900.
- Bronze - An alloy of copper and tin, traditionally in the proportions of about 9 parts of copper to 1 part of tin.
The discovery of bronze in Western Asia in the 4th century enabled people to create metal objects which were superior to those previoulsy possible because of its strength and hardness, and it has been used throughout the world for weapons, coins, tools, statuary and other decorative items.
It is very fluid in a molten state, and its hardness, strength when set, and non-corrosive properties makes it most suitable for casting sculpture. - Aphrodite / Venus - In Greek mythology, Aphrodite is the goddess of love, desire and beauty, whilst in Roman mythology she is called Venus.
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