This month's sculptures from Hadrian's Villa are a pair of dark-grey marble statues of centaurs. The sculptures became famous due to their sculptors' outstanding workmanship and the rarity and high quality of their materials. The group was carved in bigio morato marble from the quarries of Göktepe near Aphrodisias in Caria (modern-day Turkey). The statues… Continue reading Art and sculptures from Hadrian’s Villa: The Furietti Centaurs
This month's masterpiece from Hadrian's Villa is a series of heavily restored mosaic panels depicting bucolic scenes with animals. The first panel depicts a rocky landscape with a flock of goats peacefully grazing by a stream. A bronze statue dressed in a long tunic is standing on a rock. It holds a bunch of grapes… Continue reading Art and sculptures from Hadrian’s Villa: Three mosaic panels with bucolic scenes
This month's sculpture from Hadrian's Villa is a dark grey limestone relief decorated with mythological scenes. The relief was unearthed in 1769 during excavations undertaken by the art dealer and archaeologist Gavin Hamilton who sold it to Lord Lansdowne. The latter was an avid collector of antiquities who owned a fine collection of classical sculptures… Continue reading Art and sculptures from Hadrian’s Villa: The Lansdowne Relief
This month's sculpture from Hadrian's Villa is a marble head of Hypnos, the Greek god of Sleep. Hypnos is represented as a young man with wings attached to his temples (now lost). The head must have been part of a full-length statue showing Hypnos running forwards, holding poppies and a vessel from which he presumably… Continue reading Art and sculptures from Hadrian’s Villa: Marble head of Hypnos
This month's sculpture from Hadrian's Villa is a marble head of a female divinity, probably Persephone, the daughter of Demeter and queen of the underworld. The head is closely related to the head of Persephone, which is on display in the Museo Barracco in Rome (the Barracco-Budapest type female head, Inv. MB 85), and to the… Continue reading Art and sculptures from Hadrian’s Villa: Marble head of a female divinity, Persephone?
In honour of Museum Week, the worldwide festival for cultural institutions on social media (#MuseumWeek), I invite you today to discover some of my favourite sculptures from the collections of the Musée Saint-Raymond in Toulouse (France). The museum is among the best and richest archaeological museums in France where visitors can discover the Roman town… Continue reading The Labours of Hercules reliefs from the Villa Chiragan, Musée Saint-Raymond Toulouse (France)
This month's sculpture from Hadrian's Villa is a marble head of a companion of Odysseus, copied after a famous work of the Hellenistic period. This head shows the face of a man who probably belonged to a multi-figure group depicting Odysseus with his twelve companions blinding the one-eyed giant and the most famous Cyclopes, Polyphemus,… Continue reading Art and sculptures from Hadrian’s Villa: Marble head of a companion of Odysseus
An over life-size Parian marble statue of Antinous restored as Ganymede can be admired at the Lady Lever Art Gallery at Port Sunlight on the Wirral (near Liverpool, UK). Rediscovered in the late 18th century during a revival of interest for the Classical World, the statue of Antinous was purchased in Italy in 1796 by Thomas… Continue reading Statue of Antinous restored as Ganymede, Lady Lever Art Gallery, Port Sunlight (UK)
This month's masterpieces from Hadrian's Villa are eight marble statues depicting seated muses. In Greek mythology, the Muses were sister goddesses of music, poetry, and other artistic and intellectual pursuits. Poets and other artists often called on them for inspiration. Zeus, the king of the gods, was the father of the Muses. Their mother was… Continue reading Art and sculptures from Hadrian’s Villa: Eight statues of seated Muses
Following my visit to Minturnae (see previous post here), I continued my journey north along the Appian Way to reach Terracina, a picturesque town on the Tyrrhenian coast situated approximately half-way between Rome and Naples. Legend has it that Odysseus sailed here on his travels and surrendered to Circe's enchantment. Circe is said to have… Continue reading A journey to Terracina on the Riviera of Ulysses
