The Fighting Gladiator
Dublin Core
Title
The Fighting Gladiator
Subject (Topic)
Subject (Topic)
Roger Williams Park--Rhode Island--Providence
South Elmwood--Neighborhoods--Rhode Island--Providence
Monuments--Rhode Island--Providence
Roger Williams Park--Rhode Island--Providence
South Elmwood--Neighborhoods--Rhode Island--Providence
Monuments--Rhode Island--Providence
Subject (Object)
Subject (Object)
Commemorative sculpture
Commemorative sculpture
Description
The Fighting Gladiator is a bronze copy of the Borghese Gladiator in the museum collection of the Musée du Louvre in Paris. The statue is inscribed "Agasias of Ephesus Son of Dositheos," who is thought to have created the marble original in c. 100 BC. In 1611, the marble was rediscovered in the ruins of a seaside palace of Nero on the site of the ancient city of Antium.
The statue depicts a nude warrior at battle; the sculptor has captured in fine detail the momentum of the warrior’s body and his distressed expression. His right side holds the weight of his body as he lunges forward on a bent right knee with his right arm extended backward. The left side of his muscular body is one continuous line: his left foot is stretched fully to the back while his left arm stretches upward, holding a shield that is now lost. The warrior’s head appears small in relation to the rest of the body. His expression is contorted with effort.
The statue depicts a nude warrior at battle; the sculptor has captured in fine detail the momentum of the warrior’s body and his distressed expression. His right side holds the weight of his body as he lunges forward on a bent right knee with his right arm extended backward. The left side of his muscular body is one continuous line: his left foot is stretched fully to the back while his left arm stretches upward, holding a shield that is now lost. The warrior’s head appears small in relation to the rest of the body. His expression is contorted with effort.
Creator
Gorham Manufacturing Company Founders
Source
Photographs by Eric Sung, Professor, Providence College
Date
September 1, 1894
Contributor
George Wilkinson, Superintendent, Gorham Manufacturing Company
Rights
City of Providence, 25 Dorrance Street, Providence, Rhode Island, 02903, United States
Format
JPEG
Language
English
Type
Visual Arts-Sculpture
Coverage
Roger Williams Park, Museum of Natural History, FC Green Memorial Parkway, Providence, Rhode Island, 02903, United States
Has Part
Inscription on front of bronze base:
Presented by Geo. Wilkinson 1894 Gorham Mfg. Co. Founders
Inscription on back of bronze base:
The Fighting Gladiator from the Antique
Bronze plaque on granite plinth:
The Fighting Gladiator
Given to the City of Providence in 1891
by George Wilkinson, Superintendent of
the Gorham Manufacturing Company, this
statue is a copy of an original at the
Louvre in Paris.
The Fighting Gladiator was restored in
1988 by the Providence Parks Department.
Presented by Geo. Wilkinson 1894 Gorham Mfg. Co. Founders
Inscription on back of bronze base:
The Fighting Gladiator from the Antique
Bronze plaque on granite plinth:
The Fighting Gladiator
Given to the City of Providence in 1891
by George Wilkinson, Superintendent of
the Gorham Manufacturing Company, this
statue is a copy of an original at the
Louvre in Paris.
The Fighting Gladiator was restored in
1988 by the Providence Parks Department.
Extent
Statue: 72 in. (182.88 cm)
Bronze base: 45 x 27 in. (114.3 x 68.58 cm)
Granite plinth: 48 in. (121.92 cm)
Bronze base: 45 x 27 in. (114.3 x 68.58 cm)
Granite plinth: 48 in. (121.92 cm)
Medium
Bronze; Granite
Bibliographic Citation
"Fighting Gladiator. New Statue of Bronze for Roger Williams Park. The Gift to the City of George Wilkinson." Providence Journal, August 11, 1894.
"Local Art Notes." Providence Journal, November 4, 1894.
"R.I. School of Design." Providence Journal, November 9, 1894.
"Park Commissioners: Their Annual Report for Last Year Now in Print." Providence Journal, June 5, 1895.
"Mr. Deming Surprised. He Was Not Aware of the Conditions Regarding Miller Avenue." Providence Journal. June 14, 1895.
"Statue (The Runner), Roger Williams Park.", 1901, Rhode Island Postcard Collection, PC7959, Rhode Island Collection, Providence Public Library, https://provlibdigital.org/islandora/object/PC7959.
"Local Art Notes." Providence Journal, November 4, 1894.
"R.I. School of Design." Providence Journal, November 9, 1894.
"Park Commissioners: Their Annual Report for Last Year Now in Print." Providence Journal, June 5, 1895.
"Mr. Deming Surprised. He Was Not Aware of the Conditions Regarding Miller Avenue." Providence Journal. June 14, 1895.
"Statue (The Runner), Roger Williams Park.", 1901, Rhode Island Postcard Collection, PC7959, Rhode Island Collection, Providence Public Library, https://provlibdigital.org/islandora/object/PC7959.
Rights Holder
Department of Art, Culture, Tourism, City of Providence
Citation
Gorham Manufacturing Company Founders, “The Fighting Gladiator,” Commemorative Works of Providence, accessed April 1, 2026, https://monuments.artculturetourism.com/items/show/34.