Not currently on display at the V&A

Torso of a Warrior

Statuette
ca. 1575 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This torso of a male figure represents Mars and is made by the sculptor Pietro Simone da Barga, after a model by Giambologna.

Pietro da Barga was an Italian sculptor, mainly working in bronze, but also using the materials stone, ivory and silver. He worked in Rome for Cardinal Ferdinando de' Medici (the later Ferdinando I, Grand Duke of Tuscany). The Cardinal was an enthusiastic collector of small-scale bronze replicas of sculpture pieces otherwise unobtainable. Da Barga often copied from antique sculptures, but also from contemporary ones, like here from Gaimbologna's Mars.
Representations of Mars in the 16th century often are hard to identify for Mars not always appears helmeted, which would have been his depiction in the ancient Roman way.

Mars is the god of war, one of the twelve Olympians. He was very brutal and aggressive and thus hated by everyone even his parents, Jupiter and Juno. The only exception was Venus, who fell in love with him. For the Romans he was the father of their founders Romulus and Remus.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 3 parts.
(Some alternative part names are also shown below)
  • Statuette
  • Fragment
  • Fragment
  • Fragment
Titles
  • Torso of a Warrior (generic title)
  • Mars (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Bronze
Brief description
Statuette, bronze, Mars, by Pietro da Barga, after a model by Giambologna, Italy (Florence), ca. 1575
Physical description
This statuette represents the figure of Mars, showing head, trunk and upper thighs only. The complete figure shows a nude bearded man holding a sword, the body twisted in vigourous action.
Dimensions
  • Height: 22.86cm
Object history
Bought, £100.
Subjects depicted
Summary
This torso of a male figure represents Mars and is made by the sculptor Pietro Simone da Barga, after a model by Giambologna.

Pietro da Barga was an Italian sculptor, mainly working in bronze, but also using the materials stone, ivory and silver. He worked in Rome for Cardinal Ferdinando de' Medici (the later Ferdinando I, Grand Duke of Tuscany). The Cardinal was an enthusiastic collector of small-scale bronze replicas of sculpture pieces otherwise unobtainable. Da Barga often copied from antique sculptures, but also from contemporary ones, like here from Gaimbologna's Mars.
Representations of Mars in the 16th century often are hard to identify for Mars not always appears helmeted, which would have been his depiction in the ancient Roman way.

Mars is the god of war, one of the twelve Olympians. He was very brutal and aggressive and thus hated by everyone even his parents, Jupiter and Juno. The only exception was Venus, who fell in love with him. For the Romans he was the father of their founders Romulus and Remus.
Collection
Accession number
A.51:1-1910

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdJune 24, 2009
Record URL
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest