Located in the center of the University of Rome campus, framed by the perspective axis of the propylaea, the sculpture Athena by Arturo Martini represents the focal point of the vast building complex. Martini created an Athena Promachos, allegedly inspired by the bronze statue attributed to Pheidias. However, compared to the initial sketches by the architect Marcello Piacentini, responsible for the architectural and decorative design of the campus, Marini’s sculpture turned into a completely different figure, with her raised arms outstretched. How did he come to create this heretical sculpture, such a break with the classical tradition imagined by Piacentini? On the one hand, the upward momentum of the statue was a motif very much on the sculptor’s mind at the time; on the other, Martini opted for the ico- nography of the goddess who, invisible but firm, stood next to the Greek warriors and now, metaphorically transplanted to the center of the Studium Urbis, marched alongside the student-soldiers engaged in Italy’s conquest of Ethiopia.
“...LA SCULTURA È UN’ESPLOSIONE IN ALTO”. L’ATENA DI ARTURO MARTINI NEL PROGRAMMA ARTISTICO DELLA CITTÀ UNIVERSITARIA / Barbanera, Marcello. - In: PALLADIO. - ISSN 0031-0379. - 59-60:30(2017), pp. 231-238. (Intervento presentato al convegno “Le città universitarie del XX secolo e la Sapienza di Roma”, tenutosi in occasione delle Celebrazioni per l’ottantesimo della realizzazione della Nuova Città Universitaria di Roma 1935-2015, Roma, 23 - 25 novembre 2017. tenutosi a Roma).
“...LA SCULTURA È UN’ESPLOSIONE IN ALTO”. L’ATENA DI ARTURO MARTINI NEL PROGRAMMA ARTISTICO DELLA CITTÀ UNIVERSITARIA
marcello barbanera
Primo
Membro del Collaboration Group
2017
Abstract
Located in the center of the University of Rome campus, framed by the perspective axis of the propylaea, the sculpture Athena by Arturo Martini represents the focal point of the vast building complex. Martini created an Athena Promachos, allegedly inspired by the bronze statue attributed to Pheidias. However, compared to the initial sketches by the architect Marcello Piacentini, responsible for the architectural and decorative design of the campus, Marini’s sculpture turned into a completely different figure, with her raised arms outstretched. How did he come to create this heretical sculpture, such a break with the classical tradition imagined by Piacentini? On the one hand, the upward momentum of the statue was a motif very much on the sculptor’s mind at the time; on the other, Martini opted for the ico- nography of the goddess who, invisible but firm, stood next to the Greek warriors and now, metaphorically transplanted to the center of the Studium Urbis, marched alongside the student-soldiers engaged in Italy’s conquest of Ethiopia.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
