EARLY 19th CENTURY GRAND TOUR BRONZES OF CREUGAS & DAMOXENOS (THE PUGULISTS) AFTER CANOVA

A superb pair of early 19th century 'Grand Tour' souvenir bronze figures of the Greek boxers Creugas & Damoxenos, modeled after the marble originals by the Italian sculptor and architect Antonio Canova (1757-1822). Canova loved classical subjects and is revered as the master of neoclassic sculpture executed with a contemporary flair. Having studied the works of Pausanias (110- 180), a Greek geographer who recorded observations from his travels in ten books called the 'Periegesis of Greece.' Canova was taken with one story in particular that chronicled the legendary fight between Creugas of Durres and the treacherous Damoxenos of Syracuse. The two athletes met at the Nemean Games and faced off in an epic competition. The powerful men battled for hours and neither could get the advantage over the other. After several hours of boxing without a winner, Creugas and Damoxenos decided to settle the competition by each man delivering one undefended blow to the other. In Greek boxing, figh