We use cookies to make our site work properly, to personalize content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyze our traffic. We also share information about how you use our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners. Read the Cookies Policy.
Bourdelle Emile-Antoine (1861 - 1929)
Head of Apollo (Warrior Apollo), 1900
Gilted bronze, 67 x 21 x 28 cm
Inv. Number
Π.10450
On view
National Glyptotheque
The head of the “Warrior Apollo” was a milestone in Antoine Bourdelle’s sculpture. It is the piece that marked his departure from the influence of Rodin and inaugurated his new style. Bourdelle’s personal style was formed along the guidelines of Archaic art and the austere order.
The Apollo of this composition was modeled after an Italian youth with a fiery, gaunt face, and evokes the figure of the ancient god who towers above the Battle of the Centaurs on the western pediment of the Temple of Zeus at Olympia. With this figure’s tectonic structure, sharp planes, austere expression, and powerful inner force, Bourdelle presages Cubism even as he remains faithful to Greco-Roman tradition.