#Agenda2022 #Hibrid The Hippolytus-statue. Reloaded. (Leuven, hybrid 10.10.2022).
The Hippolytus-statue. Reloaded. (Leuven, hybrid 10.10.2022). The so-called 'Hippolytus-statue' is far more than one of the countless Roman antiquities to decorate the hallway of the Vatican Apostolic Library: it is the first known Christian, or rather Christianised free-standing sculpture to our knowledge. The statue appears to be rather unspectacular at first sight. A closer look, however, reveals that the seated figure of a heavily bearded philosopher wears female underwear. This anomaly has its roots in the Renaissance reassembly of antique torso(s)/fragment(s) and its 'modern' completion by the antiquarian Pirro Ligorio (1512?-1583), a papal architect under popes Paul IV and Pius IV. While the first workshop focused mainly on the process of Christianisation and the statue's functions for the early Christian community, the second workshop puts the quest for the statue's origins, its Renaissance reconstruction, and reception in spotlight. The workshop is ...