Bust of Athena. 53x18x33cm

Description

Bust of Athena. Sculpture made of molded marble (marble powder agglomerated with resins). Aging finish with the application of patinas based on natural earth.

High-quality reproduction of classical art, ideal for decoration or gift.

Dimensions: Height: 53 cm. Width: 18 cm. Depth: 33 cm.

Approximate weight: 10 kilograms.

Bust of Athena, reproduction based on a statue from the 4th century BC, from the Temple of Aphaia, Aegina, Greece. The original sculpture, carved in Parian marble, is preserved in the Louvre Museum, Paris.

Athena, also called Pallas Athena, is the Hellenic goddess later identified in Rome as Minerva. Pindar, the great Greek poet, recounts her birth as follows: “Zeus, of wise counsel, begot her himself on his august head, adorned with golden and shining armor. The Immortals, upon seeing her, were overcome with awe and respect. The violent thrust of the dazzling-eyed goddess deeply moved the rest of Olympus: the earth resounded with a terrifying roar, the sea stirred, and the waves mingled with the clouds. In the sky, the bright son of Hyperion stopped his swift steeds for a long time until the virgin Pallas Athena had relieved her immortal shoulders of the weight of the divine armor.”

Pallas Athena, emerging armed from her father’s head, represents the wise one always ready to fight against error and ignorance. She is the goddess of war whose attributes are the mind and discretion, more than valor and strength, which is why she was linked to military tactics.

She is also the goddess of literature and presides over the arts, a role in which she tends to replace the Muses; however, she maintains a closer relationship with philosophy than with poetry and music proper. She is also the protector of craftsmanship and industry and was often chosen as the protector and patroness of cities, as was the case with Athens, a city that even took its name from her.

Athena’s attributes were the spear, helmet, and aegis. On her shield, she fixed the head of Gorgon, given to her by Perseus, which had the virtue of turning anyone who looked at it into stone. Her plant was the olive tree, and her animal was the owl, a symbol of wisdom, with its penetrating gaze capable of seeing in the darkness and constant attention.