The Chimaera of Arezzo
Speaker: Dr. Heather Graham
An Etruscan Masterpiece in Bronze
The Chimaera of Arezzo is a bronze sculpture of a fire-breathing monster from ancient Greek mythology. The creature, part lion, part goat, and part serpent, was said to terrorize the countryside until it was slain by the hero Bellerophon riding the winged horse Pegasus.
Created around 400 BCE, the sculpture is a remarkable example of Etruscan bronze casting from ancient Italy. After its discovery in 1553, the work became a prized possession of Duke Cosimo I de’ Medici of Florence, who used it to celebrate Tuscany’s Etruscan heritage. Today, the Chimera remains one of the most famous surviving works of Etruscan art and a powerful symbol of myth, imagination, and artistic achievement.
The Chimaera of Arezzo, Etruscan, c. 400 BCE, bronze, 78.5 cm. Museo Archeologico Nazionale, Florence. Photo: © Lauren Kilroy-Ewbank.
Video chapters
0:00 Meet the Chimaera of Arezzo in Florence
0:45 The Myth of the Chimaera (Chimera)
1:28 An Etruscan Creation
2:11 A Gift to the Gods
2:38 Rediscovery and the Medici Family
3:26 The Chimaera’s Legacy
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