For centuries it has been an accepted fact that no bronze sculptures by Michelangelo have come down to us from the Renaissance. A tantalising discovery may have proved that this this incorrect, leaving the only two surviving examples sitting in Cambridge's own Fitzwilliam museum. Known previously only as the Rothschild Bronzes, the two enigmatic statues in question each depict a toned man victoriously raising a fist whilst sitting astride a snarling panther. The origin of the bronzes has long been a puzzle, but now research has left Paul Johannides, Emeritus Professor of Art History “as convinced as I can be” that they were created by one of the greatest artists of all time.

The pair first appeared in the collection of Baron Adolphe de Rothschild in the 19th century, accompanied by a note which suggested that Michelangelo was their creator. While the beauty and craftsmanship of the bronzes are undeniable, the attribution was dismissed as a fantastical claim and left un-investigated.

In 2012, Joannides was the first to notice the similarity of the bronzes to a small drawing by one of Michelangelo’s apprentices – now in the Musée Fabre in Montpellier, France – entitled A Sheet of Studies with Virgin Embracing Infant Jesus. The likeness is remarkable; the sketch depicts a toned male figure riding on a panther in the same distinctive, triumphant pose.

Working alongside Dr Victoria Avery of the Fitzwilliam museum, Joannides compared the statues to Michelangelo’s anatomical drawings and studies for his known sculptures. The stylistic similarities they discovered were striking; the modelling of the muscles on the statues is uncannily reminiscent of the Renaissance master’s descriptive chalk drawings.

Analysis of the proportions of the figures has verified that only someone with a comprehensive knowledge of human anatomy could have created the sculpture; despite the fact that they are thought to have been created around 1506-8, a generation before the publication of the first book on the subject. The muscles depicted rippling through the bronze have been so painstakingly researched by the artist that some of them would not even be visible on a human model in this pose. Professor Peter Abrahams, Warwick University’s Head of Anatomy, has argued that only someone who has dissected a human body could possibly have created the statues. Abrahams contends that, at the time, only Michelangelo – the undisputed master of the male form – had the necessary level of fascination with the nude body to have created these ‘hyper-anatomized’ Adonises.

Scientific analysis also seems to support the chronology of the Michelangelo theory – the bronzes have been confirmed to have last been fired between 300 and 500 years ago. Even more excitingly, an x-ray has revealed the casts to have been extremely thick, as was customary in the manufacture of bronze statues before 1530.

Comparison to relevant drawings and technical analysis of the statues are compatible with the theory, but the idea that the only two surviving bronzes by Michelangelo are here in Cambridge is nonetheless unbelievable. It is strange that no written record whatsoever should survive for a pair of bronze statues created by such a celebrated master. Moreover, looking at the bronzes, it is striking how crude the panthers appear in comparison to their riders – their faces, in particular are much less carefully observed. On questioning, Joannides admitted that perhaps the great name wouldn’t have come to mind had the statues consisted of the cats alone. It is also conceivable however, that Michelangelo simply never saw a panther in the flesh and was sculpting from a stylised image rather than his own drawing from observation – as with the human figures.

While the lack of a written record means that there will likely always be a shade of doubt, the evidence for the attribution is persuasive. In either case, the whole exercise proves wholeheartedly that this university is still working to challenge and investigate beyond conventionally accepted accounts of Art History.

Furthermore, it is only in light of this sensational new research that the figures are finally achieving the celebrity that their quality merits, having only been exhibited three times until the present show at the Fitzwilliam Museum. Whether or not you believe they were created by Michelangelo, which seems likely, the Rothschild Bronzes are excellent examples of High Renaissance sculpture and are well worth a visit.

The bronzes and a selection of the evidence are now on display in the Italian galleries at the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, from February 3 until 9 August 2015. Admission to the Fitzwilliam is free.