Tradition and Innovation: Plaster and Page by Keri Watson

TRADITION ANDINNOVATION: Plaster and Page Edited by Cheryt Kramer and Nancy H. Ramage

September l-September 25, ZOO5

HANDWERKER GALLERY

Gannett Center Ithaca Cottege Ithaca, New York

Edited by Cheryt Kramer and Nancy H. Ramage @2005 Publ,ished by the Handwerker Gattery, lthaca cottege, lthaca, New york

Director's Statement With its exhibitions and programming, the Handwerker Gallery seeks to suppoft the curriculum of Ithaca College. With this show, we hope to offer numerous ways in which art can be applied to different aspects of teaching and leaming. In addition to demonstrating the interrelation between contemporary and historical worla of aft, the theme of tradition and innovation can also be applied to the established and inventive educational experiences the plaster casts have and will continue to afford students at the College. Preparation for this exhibition has allowed us to enhance teaching in the Department of Art History in a variety ways, from cleaning and preparing works of art to studyrng and writing about them. While on display, the show will also allow the Handwerker Gallery to reach out to a number of departments across campus through activities such as supporting lectures, class visits, and drawing classes in the Handwerker. Docent tours by an Introduction to Museology class will not only enhance the students' leaming experience, but will also bring the material to the wider Ithaca community. This exhibition, then, embodies precisely what the Handwerker Gallery can and should contribute to both the College and the community. This exhibition has been nearly 20 years in the making. In 1986 my colleague Nancy H. Ramage began what would become a l9-year quest to bring these 36 plaster casts to Ithaca College. I am especially grateful for her insight in acquiring the collection and her tireless devotion in sharing it with the College community. The student contributors listed before the catalogue also deserve special attention for their work on this project since the arrival of the casts

1990.

This exhibition would not have been possible without the support of many people. Professional colleagues have offered much assistance Peter Ian Kuniholm, Carol Mattusch, Andrew Ramage, and Katherine Schwab deserve special recognition, as do Johanna Hecht, Joan Mertens, and Elizabeth Milleker of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Closer to home, the Ithaca College community has also enthusiastically supported bringing the collections of casts to Ithaca College. \7e are grateful to the Ithaca College School ofHumanitiesandSciencesfficeof the Dean;theOfficeof the Provost;PaulHamill; Elisabeth Chabot, John Birk, and the staffat the Ithaca College library; and Lauren O'Connell, Gary \fells, and the Department of Art History for helping to make this possible. Preparing an exhibition such asTiadition ard,Innouation is a considerable undertaking that involves a great many people, and there would not have been an exhibition without John Robertson, Roy Abbey, Roger Casterline, Dennis Cotterill, Randy Hanell and Renall Becker, Mason Swanhardt, Fred Vanderburgh, and the staffat the Ithaca College Office of Physical Plant; \Til Millard, chief preparator at the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art at Comell Univenity; Fred Estabrook; Diane Kinne; David Priester; Thayne Yungman and Jonas Kennedy; Laurie \7ard; and Swee \7ong. And special thanks are due to a persistent Brody Parker Burroughs, who spent many months with eraser in hand preparing the casts for exhibition. Kalia Armbruster andJessie Gstut also cheerfully assisted with what, at times, seemed like an insurmountable task. Finally, I am grateful to Gregory Page for bringing the innovation to tradition by highlighting the impact of classical art on contemporary art.

Cheryt Kramer

Director, Handwerker Gattery

TRADITION AND INNOVATION: Plaster and Page' Introduction Ithaca College is fortunate to have a collection of plaster casts on long-term loan from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. These reproductions are the same size and have the same details as the original sculptures from which they were cast in the late 19th century. Indeed, the plaster copies often have better preserved surfaces than the originals, especially in the case of architectural sculpture that has been ravaged by the effects of acid rain. The originals of all these pieces are in museurns, public buildings, and churches in England and across Europe, and range in date from the Neo-Sumerian period in what is now lraq (ca. 2100 BC; see catalogue no. 1) to l8th-century France (see catalogue no. 35). \Uhy were such copies made, and how were they used? Ever since the Renaissance, drawing from models has been a principal method by which artists have leamed how to represent the human figure. Such masters as Michelangelo and Leonardo, Raphael and Rubens, C6zanne and Picasso, made drawings of sculptures from earlier periods, especially those from antiquity. Art schools expected every student to become proficient at drawing the body, and

the usual method for perfecting one's technique was to copy marble or bronze originals, or, if those were not available, plaster casts.

During the 1880s, soon after the Metropolitan Museum of Art was established, it acquired an initial collection of casts through generous donations from its trustees and others. The collection grew markedly during the early 1890s.2 The committee to oversee the purchases, representing sculptures from all over the world and from many time periods, included Augusnrs St. Gaudens, Louis ComfortTiffany, and Sanford White. The importance of these casts to the museum and to the public was demonstrated by theirprominent

position in the huge main entrance hall of the buitding. In 1908 a catalogue was produced: TlwMetropolianMweu,m of ArtCataJogue of ttw Coltection of Casrs, with brief identifications of the 2,607 pieces of architecture and sculpture in the museum's collection. By the early decades of the 20th century it had become less common ro use models as a way of leaming how to draw. As artists tumed toward more absffact aft, many deemed copying from plaster casts irrelevant to their work. In 1938 the sculptures were removed from the grand entrance hall at the Metropolitan Museum, and were trarxferred to a storage space on the west side of Manhattan, under the viaduct on Riverside Dive at 158th I

Th" titl." reftects the fact that the.pl.aster casts are. b.eing exhibited together with the work of associate professor of art at Cornelt University. His interelt in antiquity"and the Renalsi"nl",-."it".t"d in his photographs, is a. good exampte of the rich Legacy of the past that can be seen in contempor"ry art. Fage'r *or1 on images from Rome, where he has spent severaI semesters teaching itudeits in the Cornetl 991991trates program. 2

o."frf,ffi]

At th" same time that the MetropoLitan Museum was putting together its ptaster cast cottection, Cornetl !1iv-1slty-s Museum of Casts was being as_sembted. Paid toi'uy Henry-w. sage, it was totritLv op"""J-on January 31' 1894. As the casts had been on viewfor over a ygar: it w:s ctaimeo ttiaitn" openi;g ;.il;.it";t'itr".or'lection in aLl.the-perfeclo.l gt its arrangemen^t lridp. after its great vatue to ttt"'univ"'.rity"nJ U'een ampty demonstrated ." Cornell Daily Sun, February 1, 1894, 1.

Street. "In the 158th Street storehouse, the sculptures were often piled atop one another. Wind, leaky roofs and vibrations from traffic all took their tol1."3 There they sat for nearly 40 years, becoming filthier as time went on. In the 1970s the casts were moved to a warâ&#x201A;Źhouse in the Bronx, whgre they languished for several more years. Eventually, the museum

decided to distribute them to educational institutions on long-term loan. It was at this point that Ithaca College entered the scene. In 1986 I went to the funeral of my mentor, George M. A. Hanfmann of Harvard

Univenity. Many of Professor Hanfrnann's former students gathered for this event, and among them was Joan Mertens, curator of the Greek and Roman Department of the Metropolitan Museum. She asked me if Ithaca College would be interested in some plaster casts, since the museum had decided to parcel them out to educational institutions. I was, of course, enthusiastic, and hurried down to the Brorx soon afterward with my husband, Andrew (also an art historian), to pick out objects for the College. My primary criteria for selection were these: the sculpture should be of a manageable size; should be in good condition and able to stand up on its own; and should be useful for teaching purposes. 'We have had the cooperation of Elizabeth Milleker, who is in charge of distributing the cast collection, as well as the museum's curaton who agreed to let us have the sculptures. It took four years for Ithaca College to come up with space that met the museum's requirements for a long-term loan, but finally in 1990 I drove down to the city with Gary \7ells, who was director of the Handwerker Gallery at that time, and Roger Casterline from the physical plant, to pick up the first 16 casts. Recently, at another meeting with Joan Meftens, she offered us more casts. Another trip to the Bronx brought us 20 more casts, for a collection that now totals 36 worla.a In the 19th century plaster casts were made by producrng a mold from the original. This was done by applying plaster directly to the sculpture (a procedure that is not used any longer), so that a negative was produced. From the negative molds, a positive was then cast, reproducing the original in remarkable detail. These molds were necessarily done in sections so that they could easily be removed from the original sculpture. If you look closely at the plaster casts, you can see the lines where the sections of the molds were joined. Some of the larger casts were produced in parts; for example, see Mkandre and the VolonwrdraKowos (catalogue nos.3 and 4), each of which is made in two pieces. Each half of the sculpture is heavy, not only because the plaster itself weighs a gteat deal, but also because iron bars were often placed within the sculpture to give extra support. Such bars can be seen within theCorinthimCapital (catalogue no. 16) and on the underside of Donatello's relief of SarntGearge udtfuDragon (catalogue no. 26). Plaster casts are extremely fragile, and breala are hard to avoid. On the VolonwndraKouros, for example, a piece of the armhad aheady broken offbefore the statue came to Ithaca College.

Connie Hansen, the plaster restorer who came to work on our pieces, pointed out that the weight of the arm would not allow it to be reattached because the join was too small for it to hold.

3 4

Dougtas C. McGitt, "Ptaster Casts of Statues: From Storage lnto Vogue," New York Times, Jan. 1,1987, p.9.

*ork from the College's entire cotlection, Portra it of a Man (Renaissance period, Metropotitan Museum no. 1571, is not on disptay at the Cottege. Onty on"

Many of these pieces were painted in the 19th century to simulate the colors of the original. Ingeneral, we have left these surfaces as they were. But where they were dirty, even black, we have brought them back to as pristine a condition as possible. A good example is rhe Madorna and ClildbyRossellino (catalogue no.29). \il7hen that piece arrived from the Metropolitan's warehouse, it was pitch black. \U7ith the patient work of Kathleen Foley (Ithaca College class of 1993), it was brought back to a beautiful white (figure 1). Having these objecrs on the Ithaca College campus provides our students with an opportunity to study the sculptural pieces in the round, to get a sense Figure

of their size and texture, and to participate in the process of cleaning and conserving the casts. We use a

traditional approach to leaming from the objects,

such

as analyzing them in a group format or having students draw them. Over the past 15 years the st r.

dents in my course Sculpture at First Hand also have researched and written analytical papers about the casts.

The cleaning process begins with a vacuum (which is never allowed to touch the cast) in order to remove the wont of the grime (figure 2). Students then work with soft brushes and erasers to work out the dirt from the plaster. Occasionally, we have used solution of com starch and water, left on the sculpture for only a brief time so as not to soften the plas_ ter itself. After the com starch solution is removed, a

it becomes easier to loosen old paint and dirt from the casts. In this class, the studen$ have had firsthand experience in dealing with sculpture in ways that even a museum would not supply. More recently, students in Cheryl Kramer's Museum Practices and Methods course have also been involved in cleaning andwriting about the casts. M*y of the entries in this catalogue were adapted from student papers. The current exhibition, which is the first to display almost the entire collection in one space' is intended to bring this assemblage of worklo a wider public, both on and offcampus' It provides us with the opportunity not only to see the ,".rlptur., rogethet but also to produce this accompanying catalogue, which we hope will shei light o;the pi."., themselves and the history of our collection. Figure 2

Nancy H. Ramage Charles A. Dana professor of the Humanities and Arts, lthaca Cottege

Student Contributors Producing ?adition andlrmwation: Plastcr andP4ge was in many ways a collaborative efiort. Over the past 15 years the following Ithaca College students, among others, have cleaned, researched, and, in some bases, written about the plaster cast collection. This exhibition would not have been realized without their efforts.

Ketty Adams

Michaet Adorno Katia Armbruster

Bethann Barresi Jessica Btasko

Garrett Boyd Jennifer Bryant Jeffrey Campbett Ashl.ey Cteinman Hitl.ary Damon

Jena Daniels Michae[ Dombroski RacheI Doyne Stephanie Egan Victoria Estertis Heather Fartey Kathteen Fotey Rachette Giard

Matthew Hubert

Jennifer Konopinsky

Andrea Kreuzer Greg Kordas Danielta Lachina Keith Lee Patty Lin Marisa Lomonaco Kevin Mclnerney Gavin Pataki Derek Piech Jane Pottock Sudhanshu Saria Deborah Schochet Tera Stoneman Jessie Testut Sam Utne Anthony S. Waltace Jenna White Stacey Witlemsen Matthew Zipeto

CATALOGUE

l. Gufua, ZL44-2I24

Teltoh, lraq Diorite 52" x22" x14" Louvre Museum, Paris 0n loan from the Metropotitan Museum of Art This smaller than life-size standing statue depicts Gudea, ancient ruler of Lagash, a Neo-Sumerian city in what is now Iraq. His reign (7144-2124 BC) was characterized by peace and prosperity, which the king awributed to his relationship with the gods. Gudea is known for his support of inigation canals, his temple building campaigns, and for his many surviving representations. The original statue, carved in hard, black diorite, had been damaged significantly: the head is missing, as well as a portion of his right shoulder and arm. The cylindrical and compact form, evident in the rendering of his shoulders, the shape of his skirt, and the rounded base on which he stands, is typical of Mesopotamian sculpture.

The numerous depictions of Gudea share certain features. One can usually recognize Gudea by his facial features and bald head, with orwithout atexturd woolenhat; his one exposed shoulder; his tasseled robe; and clasped hands. The head is missing here, but neveftheless he is recognizable by the other features. The musculature of the biceps and the detail seen in the finger and toenails show the sculptor's effort to depict Gudea in a form that is quite naturalistic A cuneiform inscription, with letters carved in wedge' like shapes, is carved into his robe on the back. Statues such as this one were placed within the temples so as to allow the king to communicate with the gods. The inscriptions describe the good deeds and services that Gudea had performed in their honor, in hopes that the gods would fulfill his wishes. Overall, the solid, heavy statue achieves a sense of authority and power.

Jennifer Bryant Keith Lee

2. Head of Amenemhat

IIl,

L"q_5*11*q,a._Bg

Bubastis, Egypt

36"x36"x30" Granite

British Museum, London Gift of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2005 Amenemhat III had a long reign, recorded in the Tirrin king list

having lasted for over 45 years. He was the sixth

ruler of the 12th Dynasty, during the Middle Kingdom, and is known for two pyramids that he built: one at Dahshur and the other at Hawara. Neither has survived well. Egypt flourished under his rule until his latter years when inadequate flooding of the Nile caused a downtum in prosperity, which began the slide that would .rr..rt.r"liy bring the Middle

Kingdom to an end. This huge head is a masterpiece of simplicity. it d"plt the pharaoh i., cloth headdress, called anemes' that is pulled tight across his forehead " and spreads out behind his ears' In the center of the forehead is a damage d rnaetu , a symbol of kingship . Tlte waeus is made up of the head and part of the body of a cobra, ready to strike,k4** wom on the royal crown or head cloth. In typical Egyptian fashion, he also wears a false beard that here is broken off at the bottom. His eyes would have been filled with a different stone or perhaps another material. The Egyptians' love of geomerric forms is visible in the broad shapes ofboth the face and headdress. - Although all Egyptian heads may seem to look alike at first, this is in fact a portrait, and the artist has defined specific features of the pharaoh. His eyes are unusually thin, the nore broad, lips curved, and his earlobes are particularlyfleshy. on the otherhand, the headhas asomewhatgeneric rook, inthat ' h. appears to look offinto etemity shorrs no motion or . ".rd emotion.

2rNiW'"-.-":-.91"9-.FS Detos, Greece

Marb[e 801/r" x20" x 12"

NationaI Museum, Athens

0n loan from the Metropotitan Museum of Art The statue of a woman referred to as ,,Nikandre," based on an inscription on her skirt, is one of the earliest larger than life-size statues of women discovered thus far in Grcece. It was found in 1878 at the sanctuary of Artemis on the island of Delos, the birthplace of the Greek gods Apollo and Artemis. Artemis was the virgin goddess of fertility and hunting, and was associated with the moon. This piece was carved around 640 BC, during the Orientalizing period (ca. ?00{00 BC).

The inscription on the left side of the skirt on the statue reads, in part: "Nikandre dedicated me to the far-shooter of arrows," which means that the statue itself is explaining that a wonurn called Nikandre has dedicated it (the statue! "me") to the goddess Artemis, the "far.shooter of arrows." It was common for women to dedicate statuettes or small offer' ings to a goddess, hoping to get something in exchange; less common was the dedication by a single woman of a statue on such an imposing scale as this. It is possible, even likely, that the figure actually represents the goddess herself. Almost no facial features are discemible, but this is largely due to weathering incurred when the statue apparendy stood outside, perhaps in front of a temple. One is able to distinguish such basic features of the woman, orl<ore, as hair, face, arms, and chest, as well as rhe feet that project from undemeath the skirt. The neckline of her blouse is visible, as is a belt. The figure is basically shaped as a rectangular block because, as is typical of early Greek sculpture, the sculptor carved in from all four sides. She is very compact, with arms held tightly at her sides. It is interesting to note the strong similarities between Nikandre and statues from Egypt. The influence of the Egyptians can be seen in the hairstyle as well as the form of dress and the block.like appearance of the whole statue. It is certain that Greek sculptors were aware of Egyptian statuary from the seventh century onward.

4.VolomandraKotnos, *-.-"e-*-"-l--9-"0"FS

Vo[omandra, Greece Marbte 74" x20" x21" NationaI Museum, Athens 0n loan from the MetropoLitan Museum of Art Statues of Greek kornoi, or young men, functioned primarily as dedications in sanctuaries and as grave markers. The walking figure is based on an Egyptian prototype, where the left foot is forward and the arns are held stiffly at the side. The VolonwndraKornos, discovered in 1901, is depicted in the typical pose, with the left leg slightly advanced. The artist"is trying to represent the figure realistically, despite the rigid stance and erect body. However, the Volamandra Kouros is completely symmetrical above the hips, which shows that the artist did not recognize that a person walking shifu his weight from one leg to the other, and that this movement is reflected in the upper body. On the other hand, rounded, soft lines in the chest and abdomen show a gteater awarâ&#x201A;Ź' ness of musculature and anatomy than seen on earlier lannoi. Detail is also notable in the kneecap, where the muscles are clearly discemible. The figure is naked because Greek athletes practiced and perfiormed in the nude at the gymnasium; in fact the word gymnos means naked.

The "archaic" smile is typical of sixth-century BC Greek statues; it was used to give expression and liveliness to a face, without meaning to imply, literally, a smile. The term comes from the fact that numerous statues from the Archaic period were carved with this feature, where the uptumed comers of the lips do not quite come rogether. The almond. shaped eyes would have been painted, and probably the lips as well. Complementing the face is the intricately pattemed hair,

with flame-like waves in the front and bead-like globules in the back. These too would have been painted. T'heVol'mwndraKowos is one of a long series of male figures in the Archaic period (60H80 BC) that show a steady progression toward greater understanding of the human head and body. What the Greeks accomplished in just over a cennrry is tmly astonishing.

5. Relief of aHeroic ar Diuhe, Couple withWorshippers, ca. 540-520 BC Chrysapha, near Sparta, Greece Marb[e 35" x 16'/2" x3" Antikensammlun g, Bertin 0n loan from the Metropotitan Museum of Art Currentty on view in Gannett 126 The two large seated figures represent a couple: a man nearer to us and a woman behind him. He holds aluntlwros, or drinking cup, and she holds a pomegranate, a symbol of fertility. Two small worshippers bear gifts: a cock and a flower. The throne has lions'legs, while behind the throne is a snake. Reliefs in the Archaic period (60G480 BC) in Greece served at times as grave markers or as votive works commemorating a god or goddess; this could have been either. Certainly the two little figures at right are coming to pay homage to the couple, whoever they are. The snake could indicate that these are underground deities, perhaps associated with death. In the Archaic period, artists represented figures either in a frontal position or in profile. The male figure here, wearing long braids and an ankle-length robe, is seen with his head facing forward, but his body is in profile. He has the archaic smile typical of this period. The large woman and the two worshippers are in strict profile, except for their eyes, which

frontal. The piece is unfinished, with parts having been only roughed out by the artist. This can be seen on the man's left arm and hand, and on the woman's arms and hands, where stone has been left for additional carving. The drapery is also in a rather crude srate, suggesting that it roo was destined for further *ork th"rnever took place. are

6.Head of aWurnor, ca.490 BC East Pediment of the Tempte of Aphaia, Aegina

Marbte 15" x7" x9'lr" Gtyptothek, Munich 0n loan from the Metropolitan Museum of Art This head of a warrior comes from the Doric Temple of Aphaia on the island of Aegina, offthe coast near Athens. The original sculpture is made of fine white Parian marble, although the temple itself was constructed of local gray limestone, which was cheaper and more accessible to the builders. Aegina was a rival to Corinth and Athens, and had a strategic position that made it an important trading center. In the center of each of the temple's triangular pediments stood a larger than life-size statue of Athena, the goddess of war. At her sides a raging battle was depicted, perhaps '!7ar. Our smaller Head of a Varriar comes from the east end representing the Tiojan of the temple, carved about 490 BC. His helmet, cheek, and chin have several holes, presumably for metal or leather straps that have long since disappeared. The eyebrows are sharp and linear, and his features, including the mouth with its archaic smile, are delicate. While the face shows little emotion, the movement of his body would have shown great action. The sculpture from the pediments of the Temple of Aphaia had fallen to the ground, and when the temple was excavated in 181.1, many statues were found in pieces. Th.y were bought by the Bavarian King Ludwig in 1813, and restored by the Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen between 1816 and 1818. His restorations on the sculptures, housed in the Munich Glyptothek, were removed in the 1960s, after which a new reconstruction of the east pedimental sculptures was set up in the

5|;:: 7

Fragmentsry Snwe of Selene,

4474328C East Pediment of the Parthenon, Athens

Marbte 29" x22" x20" Acropotis Museum, Athens 0n loan from the Metropotitan Museum of Art The draped torso of a woman, from the east pediment of the Parthenon in Athens, is all that is left of a full statue of the moon goddess, Selene. She was riding in her chariot, while a corresponding figure of the sun

god, Helios, rose at the opposite comer of the pediment. The head of a weary horse that had been pulling Selene's chariot drooped over the horizontal edge of the pediment.5 Despite its fragmentary state, this statue is an excellent example of the richness of the sculptures of the Parthenon. It is fully carved on all sides, even though the back would

never have been seen by anyone once the piece was put in place high up on the temple. The deep folds of Selene's dress and the criss-crossing straps across her bosom both describe the drapery for its own sake and help to define the womanly body that it covers. The first great building enterprise guided by Pericles, ruler of Athens, came ro fruition in the Parthenon. The chief sculptor in charge of this project was called Pheidias. Although it is not possible to pinpoint which, if any, of the pieces were carved by him personally, the high quality of workmaruhip on the sculpture in general, and on this fragmentary torso of Selene in particular, is testimony to the accomplishments of the sculptors who carved stat. ues and reliefs for the temple to Athena. Their knowledge of drapery bodies, movement, and design was to influence the arts for centuries.

Metos, Greece Marb[e

30"x16"x18" British Museum, London 0n loan from the Metropotitan Museum of Art This large head with classical features, thick locks, and heavy moustache and beard was found on the island of Melos in 1828. It is a represenrarion of Asklepios, the god of healing, who typically looks like Zeus, but with a less distant or fierce appearance. The hair of Asklepios is brushed up and parted in the middle. The lips on his small mouth are parted, and his beard is split at the bottom. Drill holes can be seen in his beard, nostrils, and hair. The head and neck would have been set in a full statue of the god, who was usually shown standing with his symbols: a staff and snake.

The worship of Asklepios took hold in the fifth century BC, and temples and sanctuaries to him were built all over the Greek world in the fourth century. His religious centers often included theaters, baths, and other places of recreation, with an instinctive understanding that healing requires a healthy mind as well as firm body. He was often worshipped alongside his daughter, Hygieia, goddess of health.

You

."n see a ptaster cast

of the horse's head in the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art at Cornett.

9. FemalB Head

withVeil,

fourth century BC Eretria, Greece Marbte

291/2"x16"x11" Pergamon Museum, Berlin 0n loan from the Metropotitan Museum of Art This head of a woman is a simple and beautiful representation of a classical female face. The mantle adoming her head gives her face a touch of elegance while serving as a perfect frame for her features. While the hair is somewhat stylized, it is successful in giving the head both texture and variety. The wavy diagonals of her locks counter the sharp vefticals of the veil. The piece is from a grave stelâ&#x201A;Ź, which explains the position of the head, with lowered gaze. Such grave markers would typically show an idealized representation of the deceased person with members of his or her fam' ily, or with a servant. An architectural framework, sometimes consisting of a pediment and pilasters at the sides, often framed these classical stehi. The similarities berween this representation of a goddess and later depictions of the Madonna show how the classical face of Greek and Roman sculpture influenced aftists in subsequent centuries. This piece is a good example of some of the ideals and characteristics of ancient sculpture.

Matthew Hubert

I0. Head of a Carian N oblBman, mid-fourth century BC Haticarnassus [Bod rumJ, Turkey Marbte 25" x211lr" x17" British Museum, London 0n toan from the Metropolitan Museum of Art This head, formerly thought to represent Mausolus, king of Caria (ruled ca. 37?-353), is now thought be an unknown member of the Carian Dynasty. Caria was an ancient kingdom in Asia Minor, in what is today southwestem Tirrkey. The head is a fragment of a full standing statue, and was one of several that decorated the tomb of Mausolus at Halicamassus. The figure, approximately 10 feet in height, was well over life size, and stood with a similarly large woman, formerly identified as Mausolus'wife, Artemisia. These sculptures were placed on Mausolus' enormous tomb, from which the term ma:usolewn is derived. The Mausoleum was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Built by Artemisia

to immortalize the memory of the ruler, it was a huge building, square at the base, and pyramidal at the top, and was covered with statuary and columns. It stood for 17 centuries before it was destroyed by an eafthquake. All that is left today are fragmentary pieces of sculpture, while the stones of the building were reused to build the nearby castle of the Knights of Malta. This is an idealized portrait that also has personalized features, such as the asymmetrical arched eyebrows and the full lips overshadowed by a moustache. He has a straight nose that breala up his wide, rounded fleshy cheeks, a beard with short facial hair, and long wavy hair that is brushed back from his low, lined forehead. The face looks intelligent, while the lines on his forehead and around his mouth make him appear older, perhaps aged and wise.

TheHeadof aCarianNoble is housed in the British Museum, along with all of the other statuary fragments discovered at the Mausoleum at Halicamassus in 1856.

Heather Fartey 11.

Bust of aWoman, late fourth-third century BC

0riginat location unknown Marb[e

32'lr" x23" x111L" Ashmolean Museum, 0xford 0n loan from the Metropotitan Museum of Art This head and bust of a woman from ancient Greece is a classical figure with one breast exposed. One of the more interesting details is the representation of the cloth covering half of the upper body. The fabric, carved with intricacy, follows the contours of the woman's body, and effectively shows texture. The pattem on the woman's left shoulder is typical of Greek dress. The expression on the face shows no emotion, as is common of most classical sculpture. The generalized facial features also adhere to established conventions of the period; the artists usually sffove to represent a beautiful and idealized woman, rather than to convey the likeness of a specific person. The figure was restored, perhaps in the 17th century but a restored segment of her temple, as well as the nose, had been removed at some point. These are parts that would have been damaged and replaced in the original work. The restorer would have smoothed offthe natural breaks in order to simplifi' the process of adding a new piece of marble. This flattening is clearly visible on the woman's nose. Although we do not know why these restorations were removed when the plaster cast was made in the late 19th century it is common practice today for curators to have restorations removed, in the desire to retum to the original work of the ancient sculptor. Sadly, this policy does not take into account the afterlife of a piece of sculpture, seen by the work done to it in later times.

This work is interesting, among other things, because it records the history of a piece

that was first repaired, and then later "de-restored" at the time that the plaster cast was made.

ll.Head

of ,\I*xander tfu Great, second century BC

Pergamon, TurkeY Marb[e 161/2" x12,, x14,. Pergamon Museum, Berlin On [oan from the Metropotitan Museum of Art Alexander the Great (ruled 33G323 BC) was the powerful king of Macedon. In his short life of 33 years he managed to spread the influence of northem Greece across a huge area extending to the borders of India in the east and ,o igyp, in the south. As a military leader he accomplished what no other Greek ruler had do"", he marched over vast territories, building temples and founding cities that still bear his name-the most well known being Alexandria in Egypt. He also left a world where multitudes of people spoke Greek and adopted Greek culture. His surviving portraits were all made posthumously, and therefore may not reflect his true fearures; but some of them reflect literary descriptions of him. Among those consid(Bergama in mod' ered most effective is the one here, cast from a head found in Pergamon The large portrait Minor. Asia through his march em Tiskey), a ciry he had conquered on His deep'set eyes neck. a thick on dramatically twisted his head with shows Alexander look upward, and his hair blows away from his face, rather like the mane of a lion. This is how he was later described by the essayist Plutarch (ca. 46-120 AD), who is discussing the work of the Greek artist Lysippos: "Lysippos fint modeled a portrait of Alexander with his face tumed upward toward th. rky, just as Alexander himself was accustomed to gaze, tuming his neck gently to one side. ... Alexander decreed that only Lysippos should make his portrait. ... For others, in their eagemess to imitate the tum of his neck and the expressive, liquid glance of his eyes, failed to preserve his manly and leonine quality."6

Other portraits of Alexander reflect these same Gatures, suggesting that he must have had extraordinary charisma, with the uncanny ability to capture an audience, whether civic or military. His effect on both Greece and on foreign lands cannot be overstated.

Heather Fartey

Transtation by J.J. Pottitt, in Sources a nd Documents in the History of ArtSeries: The Art of Greece 1400-31 BC lEngtewood Ctitts, NJ: Prentice Hatt, 19651, p. 145.

13. G e, the

Earth Goddess,

.--:-e-9-9*{-9"9",1"!.}.p---P,9-"".-"-.-

Pergamon A[tar, Pergamon, Turkey Marb[e

49'lr" x 35" x20" Pergamon Museum, Berlin 0n toan from the Metropolitan Museum of Art Currentty on view in the lthaca Cottege library, Gannett Center The sculpture from the Pergamon Altar, originally located in the Hellenistic city of Pergamon, is now in Berlin. The huge structure, excavated by the Germans

between 1878 and 1886, is covered with narrative friezes that, through larger than life-size figures, depict the mythical battle between the gods and giants. The Athena group, one of the most striking sections of the frieze, is dominated by four figures, of which the one here is Ge, goddess of Earth. She is shown from the chest up, to indicate that she is rising from the ground. While most of her facial features have been shom offthrough time, her eyes are looking up at Athena, begging for her son's life. This sculpture, originally carved of marble, is fullof life and action. It is a Hellenistic work that typically expresses emotion, reality, and brutality. The Pergamon Altar embodies this ideal in its physically violent and emotionally taut narrations. The depth of the carving serves to make each of the figures, while still in relief, three-dimensional. They step forth from the wall they are carved from and into real space, making them more lifelike, more realistic. The Pergamon Altar is a remarkable achievement in marble. The story of the battle between the gods and the giants is recounted in violent scenes that are carefully and beautifully carved in a dramatic, dynamic baroque Hellenistic style. The Athena group, and specifically the figure of Ge, embody the iconographic ideals of the time and relate the mythical story with great flair. The use of deep carving, emotion, and action all work together to create a realistic battle scene with heightened drama typical of the Hellenistic period.

Heather Fartey

!i'-cxr::-r-.-.-q3*-h-*l-o*hs---q:rl0riginat location unknown Marb[e 181/2"

x11" x12"

Current location unknown 0n loan from the Metropotitan Museum of Art This head is an image of the most respected politician in Republican Rome. Marcus Tirllius Cicero ( 106-43 BC) came to be Rome's eloquent rhetorician, in addition to being a philosopheq lawyeg writer, and politician. He channeled his talents into the res pr,tblica, or public affairs,

and as an orator, captured the respect and attention of Roman citizens and aristocracy. One of his accomplishments was his election to the position of consul, the highest Roman political office during the Republican period. He was also recognized for his powerful and successful speeches against the hugely corrupt and evil politicians of his day. Later in life, Cicero was exiled for refirsing to join the Fint Tiiumvirate, a group of three powerful men, includingJulius Caesar, who joined together to take power from the state during the Republican period. Instead,

he allied his loyalties to the Senate and the idea of a Roman Republic. He died in 43 BC during the period of Marc Antony's rule, a year after the assassination of Julius Caesar. \Vhat is particularly fascinating about this head of Cicero is the artist's attention to facial detail, which seems to record a likeness close to the actual features of the sitter. Cicero's wisdom and refinement is evident through the expressive visage. The embedded worrylines of an aging man's forehead as well as his thinning hair, brushed forward, indicate the sculptor's intention to render Cicero in a mature stage in his life. His large, decisive nose and pursed lips form an impression of integrity and strength, reminiscent of Cicero's faithful dedication to the Roman Republic. Despite his engaging nature and social power as a politician, there is a shred of sadness in Cicero's gaze, highlighting in his eyes the impending end of his career and life.

Victoria Estertis 15. Head" of a Julio-Claudian Prince,

early first century

0stia, ltaty Marb[e

22'/r" x 11" x9'lz" Vatican Museum, Rome

0n loan from the Metropotitan Museum of Art The elegant young nun with a long neck is a Julio-Claudian prince, meaning that he was a member of one of two families, the Julii or the Claudii, who were linked by the marriage of Augustus and Livia. Portraits of various members of this extended family were made to look rather like the

first emperor, Augustus, even adopting his hair style. In this case, the locks on the youth's forehead, curling to left and to right, mimic the standard depiction of the emperor's hair. Even the shape of his head, slightly bulbous at the top, imitates Augustus'bone stnrcture. The face is slightly tumed and has fine features, such as a pointed nose, thin lips, and a sraight brow, but not a great deal of expression. The Augustan period preferred this kind

with little attempt to show emotion. Who were theseJulio-Claudianprinces?The two mostprominentwere Gaius and Lucius, Augustus'grandsons, who became his adopted sons and heirs-apparent. Unfornrnately, both died long before Augustus, which meant that he had to tum to his stepson, Tiberius, as his successor. Augustus'step-grandson, Germanicus, was another prince who led several successful military campaigns. The family resemblance between these young people and Augustus was made to look strong, even when there was no blood relationship. of classic beauty

t6. Corinkian Capinl,6 AD Tempte of Castor and Po[[ux, Rome Marbte 35" x 23" x21'lr" Forum, Rome 0n loan from the Metropotitan Museum of Art The Greek mythological explanation for the origin of the Corinthian capital is a charming story: upon the death of a young maiden, her nursemaid gath. ered a few of her possessions and placed them in a basket over her grave, not noticing that she put the assemblage on top of an acanthus plant. Soon the leaves grew through the basket. An architect by the name of Callimachus happened upon this scene, and was inspired to construct the Corinthian capital. In fact, this architectural feature is an outgrowth of the earlier Ionic capital, with which it shares certain features, such as the notion of tendrils curling into volutes. The Corinthian capital, however, is round at the base and four-sided, thus solving the problem of what to do at the comers of a temple, where Ionic capitals were problematic. This example is a restored version of one of the capitals from the Temple of Castor and Pollux in the Roman Forum. Dedicated in 6 AD, it was built under the ffnt empero! Augsn:s. Its acanthus leaves dramatically curl over (making them vulnerable to breakage), and the interlocked tendrils are so three-dimensional that they are quite free of the background. This column is unusual in having floral decoration on the abants, which is the horizontal band above the main area of leaves. Above that is the pattem known as "egg and dart," a motif that is common but not usually found in this location on a capital. The plaster cast is made in such a way as to show the base of the column, and the top, but the middle portion is missing. This is so that the viewer can study the architectural details without requiring a huge space for the entire height of the actual column. This is one of the finest examples of Roman Corinthian capitals, and despite the temple's fragmentary state, it has served as a model for numerous other capitals over time.

17. Funerary

Um of VernasiaCyclas, first century AD Rome

Marb[e

20'I;'x13'lr" x9'lr" British Museum, London 0n loan from the Metropotitan Museum of Art The Roman funerary um depicts a man and woman holding hands-th e conirnrctio n:arrnus that symbolizes marriage-within a small house or shrine. A wreath decorates the pediment above them, and above that is a larger garland that drapes down each side, ending in ribbons. A torch defines the ' ,.;..t..i.ilrrr,. two front comers, and shallow trees are carved on either side of the monument. The back of the um was left unfinished since it probably would have been placed in a niche in a tomb. The piece is hollow so as to hold the ashes of the deceased woman, and there was a stone lid, missing on our copy. Marble cinerary ums such as this were common among wealthier Romans. An inscription within a rectangular frame reads: i;f.:if.rf.iill

VpRNasraE CycLADr CoNrucr Oprrruep

Vxlrr]

ANN[rs] XXVII, VrrRlrs

Auclusnl Llrnenn rsl ScruslA] Cunlrcur-anrsl Tianslated, this means: "Vitalis, the freed slave and scribe working in the imperial household, ldedicates thisl to his excellent wife Vemasia Cyclas, who died at the age of twenty-seven." The three letters between the two figures-FAP-may stand for Fidelkshnae (most faithful), Amartissimae (most loving), and Pientissimae (most devoted).7 The woman is holding a piece of fruit in her left hand, perhaps an apple or pomegranare.

Such symbols represent life and fertility, and, together with the woman's young age, that she may have died due to complications from childbirth.

suggest

Th" M"tropolitan Mus.eum of Art Catalogue of the Collection of Casts l190gl, # 101 1, p. 1 59; and www.the britishmuseu m.ac.uk/compass/ixbin/goto?id=0 8J3066

l*--F-,lrt-9-J-l-is*;-1'9*'T.g

0riginat location unknown Marbte 19" x14" x12'lz" Uffizi Ga ltery, Florence 0n loan from the Metropotitan Museum of Art

Bom in Spain in 4 BC, Lucius Annaeus Seneca was educated in Rome, where he became not only one of Rome's most famous philosophers, but also a great tragedian playwright. His most notable position, as tutor and advisor to the emperor Nero, eamed Seneca great power and influence under the protection of Rome's aggressive and sadistic young ruler. In 65 AD, however, Seneca lost Nero's favor and was ordered to commit suicide. In his dramatic works intermingled with Stoic philosophy, Seneca left behind a legacy that would influence Renaissance playwrights such as \7i11iam Shakespeare (156+t6I6) and Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593'), and give birth to a genre of drama known today as "Senecan tragedy."

This head, known from several ancient copies, was thought to be Seneca, although there is actually no evidence for this identification-hence the title Pseud,o-Seneca. Consistent with the value that Romans put on their elders, the figure's uncompromising intellect and philosophy is conveyed through the countenance of a sage. The sculptor's emphasis on individuality is particularly evident in the man's aged face, creased deeply around the mouth beneath his small, beady eyes. His furrowed brow, wom and sagging skin, and the hunched position of his neck suggest someone who has seen a great deal of life, and who is both wise and tired. His matted-looking hair and beard also add to the impression of age.

The nose on this bust unfortunately was damaged in the Metropolitan Museum's warehouse; the original marble also had suffered, as the nose and parts of the lips and neck had been restored. Yet these additions in no way impede the impression of a once great man, whomever it represents. Victoria Esterlis

19. Relief from a FrieTe,

"*_1_-1"2".""1_1"_1_,*P

Forum of Trajan, Rome Marbte 45" x791/r" x12" Lateran Museum, Rome 0n loan from the Metropotitan Museum of Art Currently on disptay in the Ithaca Cottege [ibrary, Gannett Center One of the gleat complexes of architecture and tovrn planning in central Rome is the Forum of Tiajan, designed by the emperor's chief architect, Apollodorus of Damascus, berween ILZ and 114 AD. A forum is a public marketplace in a Roman town, and also houses administrative and religious structures. The Basilica Ulpia, a large rectangular building in this forum, was used for business and law courts, and it was on this building that our frieze was located.s

The elaborate buildings and richness of decoration were paid for using the monies that came into the treasury through the huge successes of the Roman army under Tiajan. As general he led his soldiers in the military campaigns against Dacia (modem Romania). It

to these military successes that many elements of his forum were dedicated, including Tiaj an's 1 00-foot-high commemorative column. The large relief depicts two impish winged Cupids whose lower bodies tum into the leaves of an acanthus plant, a common and beautiful wildflower in the Mediterranean basin. Each is pouring a drink and offering it to a griffin, a bird-headed lion. These crearures are on the next piece of the frieze, not visible here. In the center is a huge wine vessel, or volute crate! named for the curled shape of the handles. It is decorated with a relief of a goat-tailed satyr and two maenads dancing exuberantly, in a style known asrwo-attic.Large tendrils and flowers of acanthus plants swirl around the different elements, filling up the space and adding to the elegance of the design. Tiajan's complex was a mixture of huge buildings and monuments omamented with historical reliefs and decorative panels such as this one. was

Ulpia was Trajan's famity name.

70.

Capiml with Sireru, ca. 500-700

0riginat location unknown Marbte 15" x24" x12"

Current location unknown 0n loan from the Metropotitan Museum of Art This capital is decorated with six Sirens: birds with female human heads that lured sailors to theirdeaths with beautiful srnging. One of the best knownstories about them is in Homer's Odyssey, where Odysseus had himself tied to his ship's mast so that he would not be lured by the Sirens'song to crash upon the rocks. The two longer sides of the capital display two Sirens, while the shorter ends have only one. \07ings attached to the birds help to create the comers of the capital, and vertical leaves separate each Sirenfrom the nextone. The creatures have claws that grasp the base of the capital, which is supported by two small, contiguous round columns. The birds' bodies are covered with diamond.shaped feathers decorated by incised diagonal hatching. Their tails appear between their legs. The wings too have extensive diagonal hatching, indicating the sculptor's love of pattem and linear desigrr. Attached to the birds'bodies are women's heads with long locks of hair. This capital probably came from a column in a medieval church. Sirens are fascinating creatures, at once beautiful and honifring. This dichotomy must have appealed to the church's sculptors, who probably saw in them a conflict between coaxing and tenifiring the congregation.

?-J-'-9-*PjpJ-yifr

Ik::M:*,"]29"klJn"-"---"".-"-

Originat location unknown Marb[e 11'/2" x 13" x8'lr" Current location unknown

0n [oan from the Metropotitan Museum of Art The small capital has a lively cohort of three men, perhaps monks, apparently kicking up their heels. Their legs are bent under them in a way that would have been easily visible from below. Each of the men wears a hood

with cowl, a shirt with long billowing sleeves, and a short skirt. The hoods have dramatically flaring folds that, in one instance, gives the impression of an oversized ear. Distressed loola on theirfaces suggest that this nury nor be ahappy gathering, and the man at the right holds a weapon or stick.like object. The interconnected action of the men, and their vigorous movements, make this a charming, if ambiguous architectural piece.

--':::::::ih:*i_?f Lta

l,ffi

ndaff Cathedrat, Wales Marbte 14" x 14" x7" Ltandaff, Wates

0n loan from the Metropolitan Museum of Art This capital presents the head, neck, and shoulders of a gagged and partly blindfolded male figure. .;.ii:tl thick band of cloth covers his mouth, and another cloth wraps around the upper part of his eyes and continues around his forehead, creating a turban-like headdress. His eyes, looking

downward, seem to peer out from under this band. Covered leaves project at each side of the head. The piece has been stained, perhaps with iron, on the upper portion. The work is somewhat reminiscent of an allegorical figure on the gothic Strasbourg Cathedral. There, with an anti-Semitic message, a blindfolded and broken figure repre. sents the Syrwgogue, while the Clutrch is represented by a crowned and confident queen. LlandaffCathedral, near Cardiffin'Wales, is built on the site of an earlier church, near the Roman bridge across the ThffRiver. It began as a Norman building in the early 12th century' and was enlarged over the next two centuries. The capital is the type of architectural illustration that medieval sculptors liked to use to tell a story ordrive home a moral point.

Jennifer Konopinsky

Cologne, Germany Wood

16" x12" x13/i' Stadtmuseum, Cotogne, Germany 0n loan from the Metropolitan Museum of Art

This carving was one of several wooden panels with figures: a maiden, a minstrel, and, the one here, a knight. Al[ are intermingled with cirved omamenral vines. The

knight is down on one knee, his right leg dramatically foreshortened, while the left leg is stretched out and braced against an omamental vine. He holds a key in his right hand, and balances a long pole with a fluttering banner decorated with an eagle with outstretched wings. In the upper right, an owl, symbol of the night and of wisdom, sits on some of the tendrils

that decorate the whole piece. Such decorative panels would typically be used as wall or fumiture decoration, either in a church or an elegant home. Here they were used to decorate an elaborate cupboard

found in Cologne, Germany. The flat area at the left may have been where the hinge was attached.

24. Nicola Pisano -".*____(_+._gr.,-1l5_1-?lq-_1_21_-8_)__.""

Adoration of the Magi, 1265-1268 Pu[pit, Siena CathedraI Marb[e

38'/r" x41" x11" Siena, lta[y 0n loan from the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Nicola Pisano was a sculptor from southem Italy who moved to Pisa, and was given that name becatse of his subsequent adoption of the his home town. Pisano combined medieval traditions with the classical style that he leamed from studying the Roman monuments and coffins scattered about the ancient cemetery in the center of the city.

city

The Admation of tlwMagi is one of the panels on :rn octagonal marble pulpit located in Siena Cathedral. Each of the panels serves as part of the balustrade that forms the edge of the raised pladorm from which the priest spoke to the congregation. The elaborate pulpit was carved in about three years with the help of Pisano's son, Giovanni, and other assistants. The relief shows two successive scenes from the story of the Adoration of the Magi. At left, the three kings travel to Bethlehem on horseback, together with two camels, three groonu, and a dog. Subsequently, in the right half of the scene, the three kings, having dismounted, bring gifu to the Madonna and Child who are seated in the upper right comer. One of the kings, on bended knee, has removed his crown in deference to the holy figures and has put his arm through it, as if it were a bracelet. Also in the right-hand scene are the three grooms (one missing his head) and an angel. Note how the composition of the whole panel is closed, at left by the horseman and at right by the enthroned Madonna. The space is largely filled not only by human figures and animals, but also by pattems of drapery decorative architectural features suggestive of a city, and trees indicating the landscape. But it is the religious drama that is the real story of the panel. 25.

'\ngelinRoundel,

late 13th century

Westminster Abbey, London Marbte 19" x221/2" x

6'l'"

London

0n [oan from the Metropolitan Museum of Art The winged angel holds what appears to be a feather, often used to represent the writing implement of the four Evangelists. Its wings beautifully fill out the space to left and right, curving with the shape of the roundel itself. An omamental four-leafed flower, perhaps

a lily, fills each of the comers of the square against which the roundel is set. The lily, a symbol of purity, usually refers to the Virgin Mary. The tight curls of the angel's hair are held in place by a head band. His right hand,

somewhat long and thin, elegantly holds the feather in front of him. The loose drapery with well-carved folds, shows the outline of his shoulders and torso beneath, indicating that the sculptor was trying to represent the forms of the body. The slightly rounded face, with a small mouth and nose, is idealized. The figure is in high relief, and leans slightly forward, with his head looking downward. These features would have made the sculpture more readable from its position high above the congregation, where itdecorated the frame of one of the windows in the nofth rransept of Westminster Abbey in London.

3e-P--s:"e-qells.(119"6-;-"1..1-9,.-)

Saint George and the Dragon, 1417

0r San Michete, Florence Marble

20''/;'x57'1," x9" Bargetlo, Ftorence

0n loan from the Metropotitan Museum of Art Donatello carved this relief to go below his marble starue of Saint George, the patron saint of the Armorers'Guild. The statue and the relief were placed in one of the niches on the exterior of Or San Michele, a building in Florence that originalty had been a market place, and eventually became a church. The relief depicts the young hero on horseback, conquering a vicious, if miniscule, dragon and thereby rescuing a beautiful maiden. The scene is set against the maiden's palace, at right, and a rocky cave, at left, where the dragon lived. Thus Donatello portrayed the most dramatic part of the story in relie{ while the sculpture of Saint George himself, in full arrnor, stood above. This relief is a landmark in the treatment of space. Donatello was experimenting with linear perspective, best seen in the receding lines of the palace colonnade and in the delicate lines of the floor at far right. Space is also suggested by the relatively flattened images, called rilieuo schiaccian, in a vast pictorial landscape. The shallow, delicate relief poftrays spatial depth, as seen in the trees carved into the background. Space is suggested in the figures as well. The maiden stands sideways, with her right shoulder receding on a

diagonal; and the horse's head also moves into the background, while his rump appears to project into the viewer's space.

Compositionally, a strong diagonal is accomplished through the lance that Saint

George plunges into the dragon, and by his cape fiowing behinJ him. That line is cou.tered by the hero's spear and the horse's body. Thes" a*I diagonals are reinforced by the cave and the palace.-Thus, narrative, space, and composition coordinate to make Saint George the center of our atrention, and of the designitself.

._?1'-L"yo

"d*g^_goptia

(t3ee

-I 4 Bz)

Singing Boys, a Relief on a Cantoria, 1432-14g7

Duomo, Florence Marb[e 44" x29'/2" x 11'/2" Museo del.t' Opera del Duomo, Ftorence 0n loan from the Metropotitan Museum of Art This panel of singing boys was one section of a larger

architectural element: a cantori4, or recta.,g.ri". balcony, where singers stood high above the congregation in a cathedral. It was carved in marble by

Luca della Robbia, the most talented of a family of sculptors in the l5th-century. The relief seen here is located on the left side of della Robbia's contnria in the Duomo, or Florence Cathedral; it stood opposite another such balcony carved during the same years by Donatello. Today both are lo."t.d in the Museo dell,Opera del Duomo, or the Cathedral Museum, in Florence. Ten panels adom the cantoria. The aftist sculpted scenes of youthful musicians and dancers, boys and girls intended to illustrate Psalm 150, whose text is inscribed on the borders' The psalm itself extols music, singing, and dance as a good way to praise God. our relief shows three older boys looking over the heads of two-smaller'boys as they all sing from the music book that the two younger boys hold in front of them. The visible metal pin had reinforced the arm, which has since broken off. Another boy is shown with a raised hand, conducting the others, and yet another one, unable to see the music, stands behind the whole group. rUTith enormous sensitivity and skill, della Robbia has horv the singers vary from low to high ranges: the taller boys, whose voices have thown dropped, lower their heads and sing out with basslounds, while the smallest one lifts his head to sing out the soprano melody. It is a celebration of music and youth through action and song.

28. Donatello ( 1386 -L466) Da n ci n g C h i ld re

n, 1 433 -1 439

Pu[pit, Prato CathedraI

Marb[e 3111o"

x39" x7"

Prato, lta[y

0n loan from the Metropotitan Museum of Art Donatello carved this panel for an outdoor pulpit at the cathedral in Prato. The circular balcony that wraps around a comer of the building was used both for decoration and to provide a place for the priest to address the public. The relief is one of seven original panels that decorated the pulpit's parapet. At the left side, one angel holds a tambourine above his head, beating out the dance rhythm for the other putti. Where they hold hands in the dance, their fingers are intertwined with great delicacy. A lively sense of motion is portrayed by the angels'flailing arms and legs, twisted torsos, and loose drapery. The three energetic figures in front, moving both from left to right and right to left, are deeply carved, while others behind them project only slightly from the background, thus creating an effective suggestion of space. Depth and texture are both effectively shown by the variations in hair, wings, and fabric. Donatello worked on the project intermittentlv f". a number of years with his colleague Michelozzo, as well as several apprentices. During the course of this commission, the two artists went to Rome, where they were influenced by ancient Roman architecture and sculpture, especially Roman coffins with lively children decorating the frieze. Thus, this work is a combination of tradition and innovation, and well illustrates the theme of our exhibition.

_" _"

xll

?2, "4:t^q-*jo_$"" r*o "(!471"J!7e): Madonna and Child, ca. 1455

0riginal' location unknown Marb[e

:fl';:;

Pierpont M orga n rr::"!;:,,X, 0n loan from the Metropolitan Museum of Art Renaissance reliefs portraying the Madonna and

Child are

derived from earlier panels that go back to the Middle Ages. This type of relief, developed by Donatello in the early 15th century, is called riheao schiacciato, meaning flattened relief.

Using a sophisticated technique, the sculptor carves the background in shallow relie( as seen in the three cherubs who float in the background, while the foreground figures are carved with a little more depth. Both the Madonna and the babyJesus are looking downward, and Maryt halo projects more at the top than bottom-suggesting that the piece was meant to be seen from below.

The sculptor here, Antonio Rossellino, has masterfully given a sense of depth within this shallow relief. Mary looks three-dimensional, and the .[th.orr..ing her body reveals her body effectively. Her headscarf is held on by two bands, one in the hair and a second one, barely seen' across her forehead. Jesus is foreshortened, and loola babyish and pudgy, yet has a remarkably mature face. The tips of his fingers, pressing into the cloth, are nearly flat. The Madonna's chair is hinted at by the flot"fr.iled arm at the right.

Affection is shown not only by Mary's arm that encircles the baby, bit also by Jesus, foot, which rests gently on her elegant hand. The quiet feeling emanating from the relief is at once thoughtful and moving, and suggests the sadness Mary felt rh. anticipated "r the fate of her Son. 3-or-$-*d:se-"4s"lt*".$

Medallion with Child, 1463-1466 Ospedate degti lnnocenti, Ftorence Gtazed Terracotta 41" x33" x6'/," Ftorence 0n loan from the Metropotitan Museum of Art Andrea della Robbia, nephew of Luca (see catalogue no.27), participated in the family business of making glazed renacota reliefs. This one is from a set of medallions, each with an infant in swaddling clothes, that decorated the arcade on the front of the Osp"dfu degli Innocenti, or Foundling Hospital, in Florence. Brunelleschi designed this building, commissioned by the city because of the increased attention given ,o ,h" care of orphans, in the early 15th century. The triangular area between the arches is called the spandrel, and it is here that the terracotta plaques were attached. The legs and feet of the baby are covered by a cloth with well-defined folds, but the rest of his body is naked, showing the skill of the artist at making a babyish-looking child. His extended arms seem to invite compassion. The glaze on the background is a turquoise blue, imitated here by paint that has flaked offover time. The swaddling clothes were red, and the baby's body'an ivory color. These teffacotta medallions are both decorative and charming, and they im-ediately identified the building as a place that carbd for children. It is just one of a number of examples of collaboration between the sculptor and the architect in Renaissance Florence.

3I-33. Jan Terwen Aertsz (h!*,1.:l1"rH"q2) Panels with Figures and Vine Scrolls, '1542 Choir Screen, Western Church, Enkhuizen, Hotland Enkhuizen, Netherlands 0n loan from the Metropolitan Museum of Art 31. Oak, 91/2" x56" x2'/r" 32. 0ak, 16'/2" x 47" x21/0"

33.0ak, 16'l; x47" x2'lo" Jan Terwen Aertsz paid meticulous attention to the floral volutes and nude children interspersed among the foliage on these reliefs. They are from a group of oak panels that together form the base of a choir screen in the Westem Church in Enkhuizen, Holland, just north of Amsterdam. This structure surrounded the choir and originally had a copper screen, which was removed in 1673 to supply material for weapons in a time of war. On one panel, at center, a chubby child perches, squarting, atop an old man's head.

\fith

the help of two young

putti, each standing on an ostrich, he displays a decorative frame containing the date 1542, the year the relief was carved. [n addition, two plump boys swirl amidst the foliage, their lower bodies tuming into plant forms or fins.

second panel

of the

same size emphasizes the

fruit

of the vine. A young child in the center pours wine from a barrel into a cup, while around him float more boys with grapes and comucopiae (or homs of plenty), and a young girl nursing an infant. The third, naffower panel again depicts a child squatting on an old man's head, as well as ostriches and more babies, some tuming into plants. Aeftsz shows a love of pattem and symmetry, and also creates a playful interplay between flora and fauna.

Sam Utne

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Butchers' Guitd House, Hitdesheim, Germany Medium unknown 24" x101/2" x7" Hitdesheim, Germany 0n loan from the Metropotitan Museum of Art The relief is from an architectural bracket that decorated the projecting second story of the Butchers, Guitd House (ca.1529), in the market place of Hildesheim. This German city near Hamburg was odginally a fort on the ffade roure between cologne and Magdeburg. Emperor charlemagne's son founded a bishopric here in 815, and the arts flourished in the city, especially in the 10th and 1lth centuries. It retains its Romanesque character to this day. A visible skeletal frame supports the building in half-timbered constnrction, which was popular in medieval Germany. The city of Hildesheim, including the Butchen, Guild House, was largely destroyed during \U7orld War II, but has been faithfully restored since then. plaster casts such as this one are invaluable in assisting with restorations of this rype. The relief depicts a young, naked angel with a sword held in both haJs .The puttn, with his weight on one leg and his body dramatically twisted, has spread his wings as if he is alighting on the lid of a vase or omament belowhim. He is deeply carved, resulting in a figure that stands out and can be clearly seen by the viewer rwo stories below. This angel is one of numerous similar lively, polychromedfigures engaged in various activities on the fagade of this building.

35. Jean-Jacques Caffieri

(1725-17e2) Bust of Jean-Baptiste Rousseau, 1787 Th6atre Frangais, Paris Marble 28" x18'lr" x13'/r" Paris 0n loan from the Metropotitan Museum of Art Bom into a family of sculptors who came to France from Italy in the 17th century Jean-Jacques Caffieri

loved the theater. He donated his portraits of theatrical luminaries to the French National Theater, and made plaster casts of many of his works to distribute elsewhere. This tumed our to have been especially fortunate since many of his marble sculptures were destroyed in a : : r1: !

fire in 1761.

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His larger than life-size bust of Jean-Baptiste Rousseau (1671-t74I) is a striking and well-preserved portrait of the French dramatist and poet who was bom in Paris and died in Brussels. This information, as well as the signature of the aftist, name of his subject, and date of the piece, is carved into the back of the statue. Jean-Baptiste Rousseau found himself perpetually in dispute with others, whether in the caft or the press, and had a knack for getting himself in uouble. His lampoons of other writers were naturally not well received by his colleagues, and eventually, avoiding a court appearance, he was exiled from France. Even Voltaire, who visited him in Brussels, had a

falling-out with him.

Rousseau appears here as a typical gentleman of the 18th century when the dictates of fashion called for men to wear full cravats, cloaks, and wigs that had long and curly hair. One of the most noticeable features here is the wig, with each curl and strand carved in fine detail. The hair is tied with two bows that rest gently on his shoulders, framing his face between the wig and cravat. His strong physical characteristics include a prominent nose and expressive eyes. The overall effect of this attention to detail is a charismatic porrrait that captures the elegance of his hair and clothing as well as the distinctive personality of the subject.

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Select Bibliography Davies, Glenys, ed. Plaster and Marble: The Classical ui" Neo.Cl.assical Partrait Bust (Edinbweh Albarini Colloquiwn) . Jor,mal of tlrc Historl of Collections 3, no. 2 ( 1991). This issue of the

joumal was dedicated to the study of plaster casts.

Emerson, Alfred. Cawlogue

of the H. W. Sage Collectionof Casrs Frant ,\nfique Sculpnne. Ithaca, NY: Comell University Museum of Classical Archaeology, n.d. (ca. 1895). Finn, David.HowToLook AtSculpwre. New York, NY: H".ry N. Abrams, 1989. Haskell, Francis and Nicholas Penny. Tostl andthe

Antiqe. New Haven and London: Yale

University Press, 1981. Kuniholm, Peter, Nancy H. Ramage, Andrew Ramage. AGuidc of ComellUniuersity.Ithaca, NY Herbert F. Johnson Museum of 2003. The introduction is largely about the cast collection.

n tlw CtassicalCollections Art, Comell University,

Marvin, Miranda. "Copying in Roman Sculpture: The Replica Series." In K. Preciado, ed., Renining the Uginal: Multiple Origitwls, Copies, and. Reproductioru. Srudies in the Hiswry of Art 20. \D7ashington, D.C., 1989 2945. Penny, Nicholas.

TlwMateriak of Sculpure. New Haven,

Rockwell, Peter. The Art of Saneworking: University Press, 1993.

Yale University Press, 1993.

Refererce Guide. Cambridge: Cambridge

Schwab, Katherine A. Casang the Past: The Metropoknn Museu:m of Art Plaster Cast CollectionatFairfieldUniaersity. Fairfield, Cr Fairfield Universiry,1994. \Uallach, Alan. "The American Cast Museum: An Episode in the History of the Institutional

Definition of Art." InExhibitingContradiction: Essays ontlv ArtMuseumintlvlJnitedsares. Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press, 1998. Reviewed by Michael Shapiro in Winterthw Partfolio 33, no. 1 (Spring 1998): 103-106.