Hyacinth Awaiting His Turn to Throw the Discus

Monaco-born sculptor François-Joseph Bosio traveled for years in Italy before settling at the age of 40 in France, where he had a highly successful career as a sculptor of portrait busts and public monuments. At the 1817 Salon, Bosio exhibited a marble depiction of Hyacinth, which was greatly admired and purchased immediately by Louis XVIII. Hyacinth was beloved by Apollo and killed by the jealous West Wind during a discus competition. Here, the young man is shown resting before throwing his discus, foreshadowing his death, which differs from typical depictions of Hyacinth dying. His idealized Greek profile, juvenile body, and sinuous yet graceful pose convey a noble if not heroic simplicity.