F.C. Nürnberg

F. C. NÜRNBERG.
"Discobolus", 1929.
Patinated bronze and marble.
Measurements: 35 x 30 x 20 cm.

The sculpture now on auction represents a modern discus thrower (discobolo). Figures of athletes became especially popular in the 19th century due to the confluence of several cultural, artistic and ideological factors. First, there was a renewed interest in classical antiquity, spurred by neoclassicism. Greece and Rome were considered models of aesthetic and moral perfection, and the athlete's body-proportioned, strong and balanced-became an ideal to be imitated. Finally, towards the end of the century, the renaissance of modern sport (including the 1896 Olympic Games) further reinforced this iconography, consolidating the athlete as a contemporary symbol connecting classical past and modernity.