Pair of Riace warriors. Italy, 20th century

Pair of warriors of Riace. Italy, 20th century.
Patinated bronze.
Signed "Lacana".
On pedestals.
Measurements: 185 x 80 x 45 cm (sculpture); 89 x 58 x 58 x 58 cm (base).

The extraordinary pair of warriors now presented closely follows the models of The Warriors of Riace, also known as Riace Bronzes, a pair of Greek statues from the 5th century BC on display in the National Museum of Magna Graecia in Reggio Calabria, representing a young man and an old man. Those preserved in the museum are two of the few remaining examples in bronze of ancient Greek art, together with the Poseidon of the National Archaeological Museum of Athens and the charioteer of Delphi. The two Greek statues were found near the town of Riace, in the province of Regio, in 1972, hence their name. Despite the similarities, the study reveals notable differences between the two statues. They are attributed to two different artists, although there is controversy as to whether they are the work of artists from the same workshop or whether they were made at different times.