Male nude. Possibly Hellenistic, 1st-2nd century BC.

Male nude. Possibly Hellenistic, I-II centuries B.C.
Bronze.
Provenance: Collection Georges Savès (1908-1985)
Measurements: 22,5 cm (height); 7 x 7,2 x 7,3 cm (marble base).

This sculpture of a male nude probably belongs to the classicist trend of Hellenistic art (ca. 323-31 B.C.). The choice of a frontal torso and a slight contrapposto is a clear reference to the great masters of the 5th and 4th centuries BC, such as Polyclitus or Praxiteles. However, it is not a simple copy. The pose, although restrained, is imbued with a Hellenistic sensibility, probably with a greater softness in the modeling. The muscular body is treated with the technical sophistication of the period, showing perfect anatomical knowledge, with an interest in the treatment of surfaces and the way the light hits them to create smooth transitions. The stylized and bearded face is the key to its identification. In a Hellenistic context, this stylization is not an archaic trait or lack of naturalism, but a conscious choice to represent an ideal type. Like Zeus, Poseidon or Asclepius, whose face is idealized to convey a serene and timeless majesty. The muscular bearing and aristocratic beard express a divine or heroic order.

This piece comes from the collection of Georges Savès (1908-1985), a French numismatist and collector with a deep vocation for archaeological study. Heir to a family tradition of collecting, he devoted himself fully to historical and numismatic research since the 1950s, especially on Toulouse and Gallic coins. Throughout his life, he assembled an eclectic collection of archaeological, ethnographic and artistic pieces, enriched in 1966 with the acquisition of part of the Roger Bédiat collection. Author of specialized studies, his legacy remains a reference in the academic and patrimonial fields.