In November I wrote a post called The 3 Things you Need to Know About your Dealer. Under the topic of taste, I briefly touched upon an aspect of all dealer/scholars. We’re tireless aesthetes, passionate about beauty in all things. Whether it’s trips to museums or a walk down the block, everything gets funneled through our inherent visuality. I hope to share the beautiful things I’ve seen with you through blogging. Our world is a veritable feast for the eyes.
I was completely unprepared for the magnificence of The Pergamon Museum in Berlin.
Their collections are based on archaeological finds which began in the 1600’s and continued into the 20th Century. Having started so early has resulted in their having some pretty astounding holdings. Coming upon both The Market Gate of Miletus, also known as The Pergamon Altar and the Ishtar Gate, an inner gate of ancient Babylon, in one museum was truly overwhelming. Here are a some pictures from my visit in July 2014.
I had seen The Boxer at Rest twice at the Palazzo Massimo alle Terme in Rome prior to its being shown at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
One of the great bronze masterpieces of the Hellenistic period, I could spend the rest of my days studying it. I got that opportunity again, when it came to New York City and felt like I was visiting an old friend. For me the boxer represents the height of ancient sculpture of the human form. The humanity, pathos and beauty of the boxer is everything you could ask for. I took too many pictures of him to post here, so I’ve made a separate board dedicated to The Boxer on my Pinterest for you to see the series. Look carefully for the use of variously colored metals and marks on his body to show his wounded flesh.
Power and Pathos, Bronze Sculpture of the Hellenistic World now at The National Gallery of Art is an exhibit that originated at one of my favorite museums in Florence, the Palazzo Strozzi. The exhibit is an “unprecedented opportunity to appreciate the importance of bronze in antiquity and the innovations of Hellenistic sculptors.” (taken from the National Gallery’s description of the show.) The exhibit will be up through March 20th, 2016.
