A fresh dispute has erupted over the origins of the ancient Greek bronze statue known as Victorious Youth, currently housed at the Getty Villa Museum in Los Angeles, with Italian cultural authorities now questioning whether the statue was created by the famed Greek sculptor Lysippos.
Lysippos of the 4th century BC together with Scopas and Praxiteles, is considered one of the three greatest sculptors of the Classical Greek era.
Found in the sea in the international waters of the Adriatic Sea in 1964, this statue is one of the few life-size Greek bronzes to have survived; as such, it provides much information on the technology of ancient bronze casting.
Romans probably carried the statue off from its original location during the first century BC or AD, when Roman collecting of Greek art was at its height. The ship carrying it may have foundered, preserving the statue for centuries in the sea.
Romans greatly admired Greek art for its aesthetic and technical sophistication, often seizing statues, paintings, and other artifacts to display in their own cities as symbols of power, taste, and cultural refinement.
Doubts regarding the Greek statue’s attribution
The statue has long been at the center of a legal and cultural battle between Italy and the Getty Trust, with Italy demanding its return under claims of illegal export.
Massimo Osanna, Italy’s Director General of Museums, recently raised new doubts regarding the statue’s attribution.
Speaking to The Times, Osanna argued that no concrete evidence supports the claim that the statue was created by Lysippos, despite stylistic similarities. “We have no evidence it was by Lysippos apart from a vague stylistic similarity,” Osanna said. “The name is not correct.”
”Victorious Youth” .Greek bronze statue.[-300], was recovered off the Adriatic coast of Italy, work of Lysipppos.[detail]. Getty villa,U.S.A.* pic.twitter.com/BbbNXsosap
— BASILIO NOVARTI (@BasilioNovarti) September 27, 2018
The statue, which depicts a naked youth crowned with a wreath, has been on display at the Getty Villa since it was purchased by the Getty Trust in 1977 for nearly $4 million.
Italy demands the return of the statue
Since its discovery by fishermen off the coast of Fano, Italy, in 1964, it has become a symbol of the town, which has long claimed ownership of the artwork. Despite the ongoing legal dispute, the town of Fano continues to identify the statue as the work of Lysippos, and it is affectionately referred to as the “Lisippo” by locals.
The attribution to Lysippos has been a point of contention for decades. In the 1970s, the Getty’s curator, Jiri Frel, defended the attribution, but over time, a number of archaeologists, including Rachele Dubbini from the University of Ferrara, have argued against it. Dubbini pointed out that the quality of the metalwork did not meet the high standards expected from Lysippos, suggesting that the statue may have been a later copy of his work.
Osanna has suggested that the statue is indeed an ancient copy of a Lysippus original but stressed that this did not diminish its value.
“It is an extraordinarily important work because there are so few surviving ancient bronzes,” Osanna told The Times. While acknowledging that the statue’s identity is deeply tied to Fano’s heritage, Osanna urged that Italians move away from the “obsession of searching for celebrated names” when evaluating its historical significance.
Greek bronze statue of a Victorious Youth ~ 300–100 BCE
This impressive statue captures a naked young man in a pose to crown himself with a wreath, suggesting this man is a victorious athlete.
The nipples are highlighted through copper inlays. pic.twitter.com/E0V3sl30y0
— The Partial Historians🏺 (@p_historians) September 25, 2021
The dispute has stirred strong feelings in Fano, where the statue is regarded as a key part of the town’s identity.
The Getty Trust, for its part, has consistently defended its ownership of the statue. A statement released earlier this year reaffirmed its legal right to possess the Victorious Youth, asserting that the statue was neither created by an Italian artist nor found within Italian territory. “If necessary, the Getty will continue to defend its possession of the statue in all relevant courts,” the note read.
In response, Osanna urged the Getty to “assume its responsibility,” suggesting that a diplomatic solution might be reached. He also proposed the creation of a new museum in Fano to house the statue and other significant archaeological works.