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Spain
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Bronze Sculpture of Young El Cid Cast in the Highest, Artistic Detail (Item SPAIN 1-1; BRONZEMET 4-12) |
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| DESCRIPTION: Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar (c. 1043-10 July 1099) was a Castilian knight and war lord in medieval Spain and came to be known by the Moors as El Cid, and by the Christians as El Campeador. He was born in Vivar del Cid, a village near the city of Burgos. As the head of his loyal knights, he came to dominate the Levante of the Iberian Peninsula at the end of the 11th century .He reclaimed the city of Valencia from Moorish control for a brief period during the Reconquista, creating the independent lordship Señorio de Valencia from 17 June 1094 until his death in 1099. His wife, Jimena Díaz, inherited the city and maintained it until 1102 when it was reconquered by the Moors. Díaz de Vivar became well known for his service in the armies of both Christian and Muslim rulers. After his death, El Cid became Spain’s celebrated national hero and the protagonist of the most significant medieval Spanish epic poem, El Cantar de mio Cid, which presents him as the ideal medieval knight: strong, valiant, loyal, just and pious. From ancient chronicles "The Cid" was the all-time classic hero or in German could be described as "Die Übermensch" (superior man) and in spirit even today is considered the greatest hero of antiquity revered almost as a saint. The sculpture seems to portray him in deep thought about the destiny of his beloved Spain, yet he clings to the hilt of his massive sword, which he knew that the fact is that deadly combat would be the only thing that would bring about freedom for his beloved Spain. The sword might be "Tizona" or "Colada," the swords made famous with El Cid’s ownership at one or another time. It is most likely that he acquired these two swords later in his lifetime, but history records that both were massive weapons and the artist has shown one of them with such huge dimension. The Statue It stands 23 inches high with a marble base 1½ inches and 20 x 20 inches square. Our information that this was sold at auction some 45 years ago and this is somewhat borne out by inventory stock information on the backside of the base and reads: Lot 37. 'The Young El Cid'. Late 19th Century School of Anna Vaughn Hyatt Huntington> Bronze. 23 ½" high.) Subject Details The figure of the knight is seen wearing chainmail from head to foot. In addition, you can see he wears a metal cuirass and a typical close helmet of the early Spanish style. A 12th century epic poem by an unknown author seems to indicate that great sword "Tizona" was presented to El Cid as a reward for killing King Bucar with his sword, Colada. This is said in the saga “The Song of the Cid" written as a 12th century epic poem: “He raised his sword Colada and dealt him a mighty blow . . . He cut straight through the helmet and slashed through everything else until the sword reached his waist Thus he killed King Bucar, the king from beyond the sea, and won the sword Tizona, which was worth a thousand golden marks." So, here, seen here as a young man, is what should be considered a fitting remembrance of Spain’s national hero. May his life, his honor, and his glory inspire us to remember that history does count after all, and culture cannot be canceled. El Cid para siempre! PRICE: $3,500.00 |
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