Monday, May 23, 2011

Day Three - Campdoglio - Part Three

We continue our tour through the Palazzo Nuovo on the Capitoline Hill. As always, you may click on the photos to see details.


A Wounded Warrior
The torso is ancient, presumed to be a copy of Myron's Discobolus, reworked by Pierre-Étienne Monnot (1658-1733) in a very different pose as a fallen warrior.



Close-up of the Head of Wounded Warrior


The galleries were thick with statues


This statue makes me think of the aged nurses in so many classical plays. You did not have to be young to be immortalized.


You will see many busts here. The individuality of them is striking.


I am going to assume this is Janus, the two-headed god of doorways and the turning of the year for whom the month of Januarius is named.



One of the emperors, I sadly forget which.



Jupiter



The Capitoline Venus

Made of precious marble (probably Parian), this is a Venus/Aphrodite emerging from her bath. Scholars debate whether she is an original or an early replica of this type. She is lovely.


Notice that the thumb does not quite touch the breast. How a sculptor can do this without damaging anything is beyond me. The hands are quite delicate.


My long-suffering travel companion whose research made our extraordinary itinerary possible, Bill contemplates Venus.








Infant Hercules who strangles snakes, believed to be a portrait of an actual child, possibly Caracalla or Annius Verus, son of Marcus Aurelius.


Anus Ebria (Drunken Old Woman)

This is thought to be a copy of a third century BC work from Smyrna.




Mosaic of Doves
from Hadrian's Villa (2nd century AD)



Mosaic of theatrical masks (2nd century AD)





Leda and the Swan

First century BC (?) copy of 4th century BC
work by Timotheos




There is one more installment on the Capitoline Museums, devoted to a single work.

--the BB

2 comments:

susan s. said...

Dirty old woman checking in! I have noticed that many of these warrior type statues are missing both swords!

That Venus, BTW, should prove to any skinny young woman that hips are not a bad thing!

Thanks for all these pictures. I would of course not been able to keep up with you guys, but the meals sound right up my alley!

Anonymous said...

These are all so beautiful on this little flat screen - I bet they were powerful in the flesh.

Great selection, it makes me want to go!