In England, found bronze sculptures by Michelangelo

Scientists from the University of Cambridge reported the discovery of two single surviving bronze sculptures of the master of the Italian Renaissance Michelangelo.

We are talking about meter sculptures of two muscular men who rode panthers.

In the XIX century, experts attributed these works to Michelangelo, but for more than a hundred years this theory was considered erroneous, and the figures were attributed to less famous authors, for example, the Dutch sculptor Willem Daniels Van Tetrode.

Previously it was known that Michelangelo made sculptures from bronze, but it was believed that none of the works have survived to this day.

The discovery was made by a group of experts from the UK, USA and Europe under the guidance of specialists from the Museum of Fitzwillam in Cambridge.

Dr Victoria Avery, Head of the Fitzwilliam Museum's Department of Applied Art, said it was "wonderful to be involved in this project with art historians from Britain, Europe and the US, as well as scientists and anatomists."

Anatomical similarity

A professor at the University of Cambridge, Paul Ioannidis, in the fall of last year, discovered the similarity of horsemen’s figures on panthers with a fragment of a 16th century drawing by one of Michelangelo’s students, who copied a sketch of Michelangelo that has not survived to our day.

The drawing is in the Fabre Museum in Montpellier, France.

The apprentice copied a whole series of Michelangelo’s sketches, and in the corner of one of the drawings is a sketch of a muscular man riding a panther.

The man’s pose is almost identical to bronze sculptures at Cambridge University, and it was in this manner that Michelangelo drew sketches for his sculptures.

The experts found a significant similarity between the style and anatomical details of these sculptures with the works of Michelangelo 1500-1510's.

The study of sculptures continues, and its final results will be published in July.

The sculptures themselves, from the private collection, are at Cambridge University and will be on display at the Fitzwilliam Museum until August 9, BBC News reports.