Italian school of the 19th century, following models of Classical Antiquity.

Italian school of the 19th century, following models of Classical Antiquity.
"Dying Galata".
Carved marble.
May have restorations.
Measurements: 36 x 72 x 31 cm.

The Dying Galatian is an ancient Roman copy in marble of a Greek statue already disappeared, probably made in bronze, which was commissioned between 230 and 220 BC by Attalus I of Pergamum to commemorate the victory over the Galatians. The marble reproduction shown here belongs to the neoclassical period and to the fervor for antiquity that spread in the aristocratic circles of the Grand Tour. It serves as a reminder of the Celtic defeat, thus showing the superiority of the people who defeated them. The Dying Galatian became one of the most admired works among those that have survived from antiquity, and was tirelessly copied and carved by artists and sculptors. It is believed to have been rediscovered in the early 17th century during excavations at Villa Ludovisi, next to the so-called Galata Ludovisi or Suicidal Gaul, and was included in the collection of the powerful Roman family of the Ludovisi.