AFTER THE ANTIQUE, LATE 19TH CENTURY

Ajax is recorded in The Illiad as a ‘tower of strength to the Achaeans’ and ‘the best man among the Thracians, being both brave and of great stature’. Helen of Troy described him as ‘huge Ajax, bulwark of the Achaeans’. He is one of the strongest warriors for the Achaeans, second only to his cousin Achilles. His epic duel with Hector, resulting in a tie, is detailed in the seventh book of the famed poem by Homer.

From the 13th through the mid-19th centuries, gentlemen of many nations, particularly England, undertook the tradition of making a ’grand tour’ around Italy in search of an education in antique and modern culture. During this journey wealthy travelers would buy or commission souvenirs of exquisite quality, often reproductions of antiquities that would be brought home as evidence of the trip and education of the owner. Therefore, demand for the marmi di scavi increased and production flourished throughout Italy. Among the workshops working after the ‘antique’ was that of Benedetto Boschetti (active circa 1820-1870), known for exhibiting at the Crystal Palace Exhibition in 1851 and his virtuosity in various media. Boschetti’s workshop is known to have produced the present model of a bust in both marble and bronze. This model features scenes relating to Ajax on his helmet, notably the eagle which was sent as a sign from Zeus (his grandfather) at the time of Ajax’s birth. Also fantastically carved on the helmet is the education of Ajax by Chiron the centaur.