Late 19th century Italian school, attributed to the Chiurazzi foundry Runner Bronze with brown patina H: 11.5 and terrace: 9 x 4.4 cm Related literature: Chiurazzi fonderie, cerami, marmeria Napoli..., catalogo compilato by Salvatore Chiurazzi, Naples, 1929, model listed as no. 78 With his body tilted forward and his gaze fixed, this young athlete lunges for the start of a foot race. It is a reduction of a Roman bronze copy buried by Vesuvius and discovered in the grounds of the Villa dei Papyri in Herculaneum, revealed in 1750 by archaeological excavations commissioned by Charles de Bourbon. The ancient bronze is kept in the National Archaeological Museum of Naples (inv. 5626 and inv. 5627) and has been reproduced many times, especially by the famous Chiurazzi foundry in Naples.