Morituri te salutant
Morituri te salutant
Morituri te salutant
Morituri te salutant
Morituri te salutant
Morituri te salutant
Morituri te salutant
Morituri te salutant
Morituri te salutant
Morituri te salutant
Morituri te salutant
This is the first historical model I ever painted. It's from the italian Pegaso Models and represents a Retiarius Gladiator (a gladiator who fought with net and trident).

In my interpretation of this wonderful sculpt I decided that he was a roman citizen (because of the facial features) of a wealthy family but was reduced to slavery because of his gambling debts. He was then sold to a ludus, a gladiator school and gym.

I imagined his proud stance coming from the memory of a better life compared to the one of the common slaves, a roman spirit not yet bent by the harshness of the punishment inflicted to him. He’s waiting for the fight to start, standing still with the proud look staring the distant viewers, ready to show his will to live and regain his freedom.

He's on the sand of the arena, in the moment when the gladiators are shown to the public, exhibited like cattle in a market before one of the most important fights of the day, when the sun is almost setting in summer.

There is an article describing how I painted this bust on the september 2017 issue of "The Illustrated Historical Artist": https://www.facebook.com/TheIllustratedHistoricalArtist

This piece won a bronze medal in the historical master category in Monte San Savino.