Hellenic Creative Spirit is Embodied in Museum Art Collection

Written by Peter M.

(2003)



     Upon entering the Greek Art Galleries of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, one is greeted by an impressive array of sculptures which embody the tremendous creative and innovative spirit of the ancient Hellenes. These beautiful masterpieces, many of which were sculpted in the fifth century B.C., “set the standard to which all of western art has aspired.” (museum brochure)

     The Weiner Gallery contains an exemplary collection of marble grave stelai or funerary monuments which were created in the fifth and fourth centuries B.C. The natural light which illuminates the room creates a feeling that you are in ancient Attica. All of the sculptures are in excellent condition. Interestingly, the subjects of these works are not famous philosophers or mathematicians, but ordinary people – children, young women, and their families. According to the museum, “funerary monuments and the epitaphs ensured that the deceased would be remembered and would achieve a kind of immortality.” Like all ancient marble sculpture, funerary statues and grave stelai were partially painted.

     An outstanding piece in this collection is a fragment of a grave relief created in 400 B.C. The incomplete figure of an unknown woman sits in a throne like chair. The drapery is very elegant and her expression is very serene. Her body texture and position make her appear very lifelike. The details of this sculpture demonstrate how skillful the Greeks were at representing human form and spirit.

     The elements of harmony, balance, beauty and expression are also demonstrated in the relief of a little girl holding two doves. One is perched on the left hand while the other presses his beak against her mouth. In this very serene and elegant monument, the young girl wears a peplos and her hair is carved in a stylized manner. Since children had animals as pets, one can assume that “the family probably wanted to remember their child this way.” (museum)

     The marble statue of a lion which was found in Rome was created on the Cycladic Islands in 400 B.C.– a place where marble was plentiful. According to the museum, lions, often the subjects of tomb monuments were placed at both ends of a large tomb façade. This particular sculpture was taken to Rome during the imperial period. It is enormous, impressive, extremely lifelike and well preserved.

     Further evidence of earliest Greek art forms comes from the Cycladic period 4500-2200 B.C. A fine example of this art is the Cycladic Harp Player. This small and simple marble sculpture depicts a musician seated in a chair playing a harp-like instrument. It is so contemporary and could easily be included in any museum of modern art. Its abstract beauty further proves how advanced the Greeks were in the field of sculpture.

     A visit to the Greek Art Collection at the Met is a valuable learning experience. The display is magnificent, beautifully arranged, and source of great inspiration. A moving and real testament to the artistic genius of the Greeks, this exhibition clearly demonstrates the respect and love that these ancient people held for their departed loved ones.