METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART PRESENTS MICHELANGELO'S MARBLE BOY

THE MARBLE BOY, A FRAGMENTARY MARBLE STATUE OF A NUDE YOUNG BOY ATTRIBUTED TO MICHELANGELO, WILL MAKE ITS WAY ACROSS 5th AVENUE FROM THE HEADQUARTERS OF THE FRENCH CULTURAL SERVICES IN THE UNITED STATES TO THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART, NEW YORK. FRANCE HAS AGREED TO LOAN THE INTENSELY LYRICAL WORK, THE ONLY STATUE IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE WIDELY ATTRIBUTED TO THE RENAISSANCE MASTER, TO THE MUSEUM FOR A TEN YEARS PERIOD, AS A SYMBOL OF THE STRONG TIES OF FRIENDSHIP THAT CONTINUE TO BIND BOTH COUNTRIES, AND TO GIVE THE GENERAL PUBLIC A BETTER OPPORTUNITY TO VIEW THE MARBLE. THE STATUE, IDENTIFIED VARIOUSLY AS A YOUNG ARCHER OR A CUPID, HAS BEEN THE SUBJECT OF SOME CONTROVERSY BUT IS INCREASINGLY VIEWED AS HAVING BEEN CARVED BY THE FAMED RENAISSANCE SCULPTURE MICHELANGELO BUONARROTI WHEN HE WAS A TEENAGE PRODIGY. IT HAS ALREADY BEEN REMOVED FROM ITS FORMER LOCATION AT 972 5th AVENUE AND WILL BE DISPLAYED IN THE MUSEUM'S VELEZ BLANCO PATIO (1st FLOOR) STARTING 3.NOVEMBER.2009.
WHEN THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT ACQUIRED THE PAYNE WHITNEY MANSION (AT 972 5th AVENUE) IN 1952 TO SERVE AS THE HEADQUARTERS OF ITS CULTURAL SERVICES, NON ONE RECALLED THE STATUE'S ILLUSTRIOUS PEDIGREE, AND IT WAS INCLUDED IN THE SALE OF THE BUILDING. INDEED, THE MARBLE FIGURE OF A NUDE BOY MISSING HIS ARMS AND LOWER LEGS WAS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE BUILDING: IT HAD BEEN ORIGINALLY OBTAINED BY FAMED ARCHITECT STANFORD WHITE TO FURNISH THE NEW HOME HE WAS DESIGNING FOR MR AND MRS PAYNE WHITNEY. FOR DECADES, THE MARBLE BOY STOOD ANONYMOUSLY IN THE BUILDING'S ENTRANCE HALL, ABOVE A FOUNTAIN DESIGNED BY WHITE. IN DEFERENCE TO STANFORD WHITE'S VISION, THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM WILL PROVIDE THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT WITH A FAITHFUL REPRODUCTION OF THE STATUE, WHICH WILL BE DISPLAYED ABOVE THE FOUNTAIN AS ORIGINALLY INTENDED BY WHITE.