The Gilded Bronzes of Cartoceto di Pergola - Essay Example

16 February 2008 The Gilded Bronzes of Cartoceto di Pergola The first view of the Gilded Bronzes of Cartoceto di Pergola impacts the senses with graceful lines and intricate detail, not to mention their sheer size, even though they are incomplete. For the first time, the group has been displayed outside Italy at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, being transported from the Museum of the Gilded Bronzes and of the City of Pergola in Italy. The group consists of two larger-than-life men on horseback accompanied by two standing women. It was initially dated early first century A.D., but later tests showed the date to be first century B.C., between 50-30 B.C., which is just before the establishment of the Roman imperial period in 27 B.C. The late Republican period was known to use monumental images to underline Roman power (The Famous Gilded Bronzes). The fact that these spectacular sculptures were discovered in 1946 as mostly fragments in a shallow pit by two farmers working in their field near the City of Pergola makes their reproduction in such detail quite amazing. However, because they were in fragments, the sculptures were saved from being melted down for re-use of the metals, a common practice in ancient times. Gian Mario Spacca, president of the region of the Marches, is quoted as saying, "This group of gilded bronzes conveys all the beauty and mystery of Ancient Rome . . . Their unknown story and accidental discovery are a remarkable demonstration of the miracle of these lands, the Marches, which can reveal superb works of art, testimony to the talent and importance of a culture recognized all over the world" (The Famous Gilded Bronzes). It took from 1948 to 1986 to restore and reconstruct these statues. The very fact that these statues were destroyed triggers the imagination. The figures are obviously based on actual models. Could it be that the group fell out of favor at some time, and that is why the statues were crumbled and buried Could the figures be related in some way to Augustus It has been determined that they were created in the 1st century B.C., but when were they buried and why were they destroyed Historical Background The Roman Republic was established in 509 B.C., but political rivalries in the first century B.C. led to civil wars and the eventual collapse of the Republic. The Roman imperial period began in 30-27 B.C. with the principate of Augustus. Between 27 B.C. and A.D. 14, Rome was transformed into a city of marble. Julius Caesar had been assassinated in 44 B.C. and his nephew Octavius ruled as Emperor Augustus. The Hellenistic or Augustan period introduced the accurate depiction of age from children to adult to old age. Use of bronze made possible immediacy and naturalistic detail (Hemingway 3). Comparison of the gilded bronze family group of Pergola with the Greek sculptures of 50 B.C. to 1 B.C. indicate many similarities in style. Because it is not known or even conjectured that any specific sculptor created the family group, it is quite possible that a Greek sculptor was responsible or that the style was copied. The Romans first came into contact with the Greeks in the 3rd century B.C. in Southern Italy and in Sicily where Greek colonies had been established five hundred years earlier (Roman Sculpture). The illustrations on page 7 offer comparisons with each other. The knight (A) in the family group (late 1st century B.C.) is bald with one lock of hair towards the forehead, closely set eyes and bitterly straight mouth (The Gilded Bronzes: Knight). He is thought to be mature, between 40 and 50 years old. The tunic worn by the knight is one worn by a Roman officer of high rank. The statue of the young boy (B), thought to be Gaius, adopted grandson of Emperor Augustus, also resembles the knight, but with a softer expression (Portrait Statue of Young Boy). Another statue (C), dated 1st century B.C./A.D., shows a man carrying two ancestral busts. The one on the right could be the knight in the family group or at least a close relative. The description of features is the same ("Roman Sculpture"). The Julio-Claudian dynasty began with Augustus (27 B.C. - 14 A.D.) and the portraits under discussion fit well into this time frame. Gaius was one of the sons of Agrippa and the widowed Julia (Augustus's daughter) and was adopted in 17 B.C. and at the age of 14 was Augustus's only surviving grandson (Portrait Statue). The likeness in (D) is also said to be Gaius, but it could, according to Livius ("Mogontiacum" 3rd illustration), be Augustus as a young man, created by Greek sculptors employed by the emperor in Rome. The overall conclusion from these various portraits is that the knight in the group at the museum is probably related closely to Emperor Augustus's family. It is likely this group is a life-like depiction of a high-class family in Rome, with careful attention to details, body structure, and expression. These are free-standing portrait sculptures carved in three dimension, and Roman sculptors combined realistic Roman and idealistic Greek styles to make their subjects more handsome than they really were without sacrificing uniquely personal characteristics ("Roman Sculptures"). Under Greek influence toward the end of the 1st century B.C. there was a tendency toward idealism. The woman in the family group, at one time identified as Livia, represents a middle-aged lady with hair-parting in the middle, unlike Livia who is usually depicted with the severe hairstyle of the last quarter of the first century B.C. prior to 30 B.C., rolled into a knot at the front. She is also old and relatively unattractive, without idealism softening her features. Her features are more realistic than ideal. The outfit worn by the lady does not show her figure but shows a realistic draping of material, including a stole. She has a golden ring on her index finger, symbol of the "equestrian order and further confirmation of high social rank." The Hellinistic hair style of this lady, popular during Augustus's reign in 1st century B.C. contributed to the decision that this grouping was created in the 1st century B.C. instead of A.D. as originally believed (The Gilded Bronzes: Woman). The two horses partly facing each other have been created with extraordinary realism from head to body, and majestic posture for both, each with one leg raised (Gilt Bronzes). A close up view of the horses brings their faces into view with teeth showing and nostrils flaring (The Gilded Bronzes: Horses). The harnesses are decorated with metal disks depicting Roman gods-the head of Venus, the gods Mars, Juno, Minerva and Mercury (The Gilded Bronzes: Horses). Comparisons with Other Roman Sculptures Four gilded horses of the Basilica of St. Mark were removed from Venice for the fifth time at the beginning of World War I. At present, replicas adorn St. Mark's cathedral outside while the original horses are displayed inside (Four Gilded Bronze Horses). It is thought that the horses could have been made by Greek sculptor Lysippos, according to historian Pliny the Elder. The key to Lysippos's style is the sculpted ears, stylish but not realistic. He lived from 370 B.C. to 310 B.C. and later works could have been influenced by him. The horses in the family group are very similar, but with ears not quite as stylized. It is very possible that whoever made these sculptures were familiar with Lysippos's work ("Marcus Aurelius"). A bronze equestrian sculpture of Marcus Aurelius is located in Piazza del Campidoglio, Rome. Many statues were melted down following Rome's conversion to Christianity, but although Marcus Aurelius was a persecutor of Christians it was thought his statue represented Emperor Constantine, and the statue was preserved, one of the few surviving pre-Christian sculptures "Marcus Aurelius in Art"). The Gilded Bronzes were also preserved though in pieces and buried, and therefore not melted down. One other group of sculptures, four prancing horses of St. Mark, was left intact, probably because the horses were without riders. They were thought to be representative of the racing activity of the Hippodrome itself. Conclusion Roman architecture during the republican period was a nearly exact copy of Greek architecture. It is therefore conceivable that sculptures were also based on the work of Greek sculptors. The arrangement of the family group may not be the way in which they were originally presented, but there is no way to determine this since the statues were buried and in shards. Even so, the limited number of oversize sculptures that have survived over the past 2000 years show a realism that has not been improved upon over all these years. The family group is made up of portrait sculptures that show who those people might actually be. The ability of artists in B.C. continues to be on a par with current artists in the 21st century. It would seem that in that length of time, artistic improvements would be evident, but the rhythm, energy and classic features of these ancient sculptures more than meet the standards of today. Works Cited "The Famous Gilded Bronzes of Caroceto di Pergola On Exhibition for the First Time Outside Italy. 7 July 2007 to 10 February 2008. The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. 30 January 2008. http://www.mmfa.qc.ca/en/expositions/exposition_118.html "Four Gilded Bronze Horses." 17 November 1917. The New York Times. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.htmlres=9F07E6D81539E333A25750C0A9609C946496D6CF The Four Horses of St. Mark. 1996. Photo.net. 13 February 2008. http://photo.net/photo/pcd0285/venice-st-marks-horses-17 The Gilded Bronzes. 30 January 2008. Museo Bronzi Dorati. http://www.bronzidorati.com/bronzidorati_eng/gilded_bronzes/entrata_museo_bronzi_pergola_eng.htm Gilt Bronzes from Cartoceto di Pergola (online photo). Site last modified 6 January 2008. Wikepedia.. 30 January 2008. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilt_Bronzes_from_Cartoceto_di_Pergola Hemingway, S. May 2007. "Hellenistic Bronze Sculptures at the Metropolitan Museum. Apollo, 1-5. 12 February 2008. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0PAL/is_543_165/ai_n19171096/pg_3 "Marcus Aurelius." 2007. Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th edition. 13 February 2008. http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-X-Aurelius.html "Marcus Aurelius in Art, Film and Literature." 2008. Religion Facts. 13 February 2008. http://www.religionfacts.com/christianity/people/aurelius.htm "Mogontiacum (Mainz)." Livius.org. 13 February 2008. http://www.livius.org/a/germany/mainz/mainz_1.html "Pergola and the Cartoceto Bronzes." 2007. Air Dolomiti newsletter. 10 February 2008. http://www.airdolomiti.it/en/destinazioni/ancona/Pergola_Cartoceto.aspx "Portrait Statue of a Boy." Late 1st century B.C. - early 1st century A.D. Julio-Claudian Roman Bronze. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ho/05/eusb/ho_14.130.1.htm# Roman Sculpture. n.d. Classical Association of Teachers -Ireland. 11 February 2008. http://209.85.173.104/searchq=cache:OQmfHpXn6e8J:www.cai-teachers.com/Teaching%2520notes/Roman%2520Art/Roman%2520Sculpture1.doc+Roman+and+Greek+sculptors+between+50+B.C.+and+1+B.C.&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=5 Read More