The Gaddi Torso

This robust torso was purchased in 1778 by Grand Duke of Tuscany Peter Leopold from the Gaddi collection, which was located in Florence; nothing is known of the work prior to this date, except that it was part of the above-mentioned private collection. The statue is derived from a prototype of the 2nd century BC and, although only the torso is preserved, it is evident that it was originally a Centaur with hands bound behind its back. It was part of a group consisting of a young, free and exuberant Centaur, and an ancient one, being ridden by a cupid who strikes it with a whip. What remains of the torso tells us of a young, muscled body, whose energy seems to be constrained inside the limits of the material in which it is made: the strain in the twisted torso is visible in the sculpture. It can be easily interpreted as a metaphor for the invincible strength of Eros, even able to control the wild Centaurs; this symbol of strength and power was used several times as a model for different