For millennia, sculptors have challenged themselves to render the human form.
The age-old tradition includes a number of different media, ranging from the ancient Greek marble sculpture of Venus de Milo to the bronze David by the Italian Renaissance sculptor Donatello, and on to the copper Statue of Liberty.
Today, one contemporary artist is carrying the torch of this classical style in his realistic clay and bronze sculptures. American artist Benjamin Victor is a world-renowned sculptor whose extensive body of work is closely akin to the Renaissance masters. One of his most recent creations depicts the Biblical character of Bathsheba as a statuesque young woman in a long dress.
Made in both clay and bronze, this life-size sculpture endeavours to capture the moment in the Bible story when she emerged from the bath, with wet clothing clinging to her body. Bathsheba was described as having met King David after stepping out of the water snd, as the story goes, “she was summoned by King David, who had seen her bathing and lusted after her.”
The sculptor's expertise is apparent in every delicate feature of Bathsheba. Victor brilliantly manages to define her long flowing hair and, more remarkably, captures the delicate transparency of the wet clothing and the curvatures of her body.
It's good to see that the skills of the ancient tradition of rendering human form have not been lost in today's world. For more, visit benjaminvictor.com