Giambolonia, Giovanni da Bologna

The Florentine master Giovanni da Bologna, nicknamed Giambologna, is considered one of the best sculptors of late Mannerism. In 1563, Giambologna became a member of the prestigious Academy of Arts in Florence. He creates his first masterpiece for the city of Bologna: after receiving payment for a bronze sculpture of Neptune, the master creates it for the fountain of the same name. The design of the sculpture of the Sabine Women began in 1579. Initially, the artist planned to create only two figures, which can be seen from the preparatory bronze blanks (Museum of Capodimonte, Naples), but then he added a third figure, as evidenced by the wax models (Victoria and Albert Museum, London). A full-scale plaster model of the sculpture can be seen in the Gallery of the Academy of Arts in Florence. The statue illustrates the legend of the beginning of the Sabine War. Almost the entire population of Rome consisted of men, and local tribes did not allow their women to marry with the Romans because of their poverty. Romulus organizes a celebration in the city, inviting many guests, including his neighbors, and at a certain point in the celebration, women are abducted by force, subsequently captured in stone by the great master Giambologna.