The museum's acquisition of Apollo the Lizard-Slayer is being touted as one most important Classical sculptures to be acquired by a North American Museum since World War II. Museum officials date the life-sized bronze of the greek god of light as far back as the third or fourth century B.C. They also believe it may have been created by one of the greatest artists of ancient Greece.
Michael Bennett, the museum's curator of Greek and Roman art, says he and other museum officials spent a year consulting experts and conducting scientific studies to verify its authenticity.
Michael Bennett: The Cleveland Museum of Art is known particularly for its Greek and Roman bronzes so adding this to our already existing collection of Greek and Roman bronzes really adds strength to strength and I couldn't be happier. I couldn't be more thrilled.
Future plans include bringing recognized art specialists from around the world to discuss their theories on the work's origins at an April 2006 symposium. In Cleveland, Tasha Cook, 90.3.