Abduction of a Sabine Woman (or Rape of the Sabine Women)
Abduction of a Sabine Woman (or Rape of the Sabine Women) is a large and complex marble statue by the Flemish sculptor and architect Giambologna (Johannes of Boulogne). It was completed between 1579 and 1583 for Cosimo I de' Medici. Giambologna achieved widespread fame in his lifetime, and this work is widely considered his masterpiece. It has been in the Loggia dei Lanzi, Florence, since August 1582. The statue is composed in the figura serpentinata style. It depicts three nude figures: a young man in the center who has seemingly taken a woman from a despairing older man below him. It is ostensibly based on the rape of the Sabine Women incident from the early history of Rome when the city contained relatively few women, leading to their men committing a raptio (large-scale abduction; the word is rendered as rape in archaic or literary English) of young women from nearby towns and cities. We hope that you have enjoyed reading our blog on the world history and facts. ...