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

Day Three - Campidoglio - Part Two

The Dying Gaul (of which much more later)

Marsyas challenged Apollo to a musical duel. For daring to challenge a God, Marsyas was condemned by Apollo to be flayed alive. This Roman copy of a Hellenistic original captures his anguish and was a model for later depictions of the Crucifixion of Jesus.

Horse and Charioteer

Hercules combating
Copy of a 4th c. BC bronze

Detail of Hercules

Presentation in the Temple with Saints
begun by Francesco Francia and
completed by Bartolomeo Passerotti

Your guide

We were more than ready to sit down for lunch and waited a while for a seat outside on the terrace, overlooking the roofs of Rome. What an incredible setting. Near us was a table that was a joy to observe, a multi-generational family or collection of friends obviously enjoying each other. This puts one in mind of the Italian proverb: A tavola non si invecchia (one does not age at the table) and of the reality that Italians know how to live and enjoy life.

Victory in her quadriga (four-horse chariot)
viewed from the terrazza

After lunch we crossed underneath the piazza to the Palazzo Nuovo that houses yet more art.

Another river god

This statue is called il Marforio because it was found in the Forum of Mars (Martis Forum). Stylistically it is from the Flavian period (first century AD). The attributes of Ocean were added in 1594.

Diana / Artemis

Diana the Huntress

I am guessing this is Pomona,
goddess of fruits and nuts,
for whom my undergraduate college is named,
and that is why I paused for this photo.

Hellenistic statue of a Satyr

Colossal statue of Mars, God of War

Hercules in a 17th century restoration of a late 2nd century AD Roman copy of a 4th century BC Greek original.

Wounded Amazon based on a work of Pheidias

Apollo with Lyre

Hall of the Faun

And that concludes today's tour. Lots more to come before we get to the Imperial Fora.

--the BB