Roman Art from the Louvre
A Special Exhibition Review by Gail S. Myhre
The Oklahoma City Museum of Art may call itself fortunate indeed as the final venue in which the exhibition Roman Art from the Louvre is to be shown. With this exhibition the museum has a unique opportunity to bring a new appreciation of ancient and classical art to the American Midwest.
Roman Art from the Louvre traveled previously to the Indianapolis Museum of Art and the Seattle Museum of Art. The OKCMOA is its last stop on this United States tour before returning to Paris. It represents a marvelous chance for the OKCMOA, as the museum has no classical collection of its own, and so will be able to introduce this marvelously rich store of art to the area for the first time. Moreover, many of the objects exhibited here have not been on view for many decades and may not be again within our lifetime. Some have been only recently restored. This exhibition is a scholarly opportunity for the Louvre's curators as much as for those of the show's United States venues, because the occasion has now arisen to group pieces together that otherwise are not, unconstrained and perhaps not as overshadowed by the Baroque and palatial spaces in which they are normally displayed--if they are displayed at all.
Roman Art from the Louvre will not appear in any larger cities' venues that are associated with the showing of so-called "blockbuster" exhibitions, and the enthusiasm of the Louvre's curators for exhibiting a part of its collection in these smaller regional museums is undeniable. The Louvre's curator for this presentation accompanied the collection to each site and worked closely with each of his American counterparts to help display the objects to their fullest advantage.
Dr. Hardy George, Chief Curator of the OKCMOA, was educated in the tradition of the European Romantic period. His view of the Louvre's pieces through a slightly earlier Neoclassical sensibility provides a refreshing perspective which in many ways mirrors the Louvre's own, the collections from which these objects were taken having been assembled largely during and by way of the Napoleonic conquests.
Young Girl,
late 1st century B.C. or early 1st century A.D.
Marble
56 3/4 x 20 7/8 x 21 5/8 in.
Musée du Louvre, Paris
(MA 682–MR 203)
© AFA/Musée du Louvre; Photo: Anne Chauvet, 2006
Courtesy American Federation of Arts
Until very recently Roman art had been regarded as a mere offshoot--or even, at worst, a second-rate reproduction--of earlier Greek art. Roman artists, and particularly sculptors, drew heavily from their Greek predecessors and original Greek works were extensively copied for Roman audiences. With this exhibition, however, the idiom of Roman art has been presented as the work of a distinct and fully mature artistic culture, one which relied and built upon the Hellenistic tradition but was not slavish to it.
The exhibition, arranged thematically rather than chronologically, is expository of the society in which the objects were found rather than descriptive of a fixed and developmental art historical timeline as so much of Roman art has elsewhere been presented. We begin appropriately enough with an "Introduction to Rome and its Empire," represented iconically by the monumental Portrait of Lucilla (2nd half of 2nd Century A.D., discovered in Tunisia 1845), a magnificent bust which stands over five feet in height. Her size and serenity are expressive of her possible depiction here as Venus, or, more likely, Juno; both goddesses were established divine forms for Lucilla.
Continuing through the exhibition's thematic arrangement, we pass through studies of "The Emperor and His Surroundings" and "The Roman Citizen" and conclude most appropriately with "Religion and Death." In this way, the installation's works are organized so as to highlight those particular aspects of everyday Roman life in which the objects themselves would be viewed in their contemporary settings.
In addition to its exploration of the Roman aesthetic, the exhibition also sheds an interesting light on the modern Neoclassical view of the original Classical idiom, and the way in which our own society has interpreted and seen fit to restore Roman artistic works. Many of the objects on exhibit here were radically altered by their 18th and 19th Century restorers, some so completely that the original states of the pieces are unknown.
Portrait of Augustus Wearing a Toga,
ca. 10 A.D. (head), ca. 120 A.D. (toga)
Marble
85 x 35 3/8 x 23 5/8 in.
Musée du Louvre, Paris
(MA 1212–INV. MR 100; 1577)
© © AFA/Musée du Louvre; Photo: Daniel Lebée and Carine De Ambrosis
Courtesy American Federation of Arts
In this regard, we find as we enter the hall dedicated to "The Emperor and His Surroundings" two magnificent larger-than-life statues of Augustus and Livia, well matched in size, color and texture of the marble used for their creation, both excellent examples of the Roman use of portrait statues as political propaganda – neither of which stand today as originally conceived.
The Portrait of Augustus Wearing a Toga was sculpted in two parts. The head was created ca. 10 A.D., while the toga bears characteristics dating it to Hadrian's reign, ca. 120 A.D. The latter's Greek style of drape is a fashion of which Augustus himself would have disapproved. The two pieces were not joined until some time before the sculpture's acquisition by the Vatican collections in 1783. This being said, the image of Augustus in a simple toga, holding a scroll in a pose typical of portrait sculpture depicting orators and senators, is not inconsistent with how Augustus tended to present himself publicly, as being simply princeps senatus (first senator).
As for the Portrait of Livia as Ceres (ca. 20 A.D.), one can certainly imagine the Augusta wishing to identify herself with the beneficent harvest goddess, divine source of plenty. There are in fact other statues which depict Livia as Ceres, the existence of which lends credence to the idea that this statue originally displayed her in this guise. But modern restorations and additions, including the arms, the cornucopia and part of the crown of flowers, raise legitimate questions about the sculpture's original appearance.
Mosaic Panel,
2nd half of 1st–early years of 2nd century A.D.
Marble, limestone, and molten glass
73 1/4 x 73 1/4 x 5 7/8 in.
Musée du Louvre, Paris
(MA 3443–INV. MND 1945)
© AFA/Musée du Louvre; Photo: Daniel Lebée and Carine De Ambrosis
Courtesy American Federation of Arts
The presence of so many remarkable statues and portrait busts at the beginning of the exhibition should not lead one to suppose that the decorative arts have been neglected. In Roman society as in our own, the wealthy householder took a great delight in the figural decoration of objects of everyday use. The Candelabrum Lamp-Holder, found in Pompeii and dating from the early 1st Century A.D. (before 79 A.D., the date of the famous eruption of Mt. Vesuvius), stands on a tripod of stylized lion's paws, while the upper end of the shaft is topped with a small chalice inlaid with tin in the form of ivy and berries. Though this one is especially lavish, these candelabrum lamps would have been found in nearly every room, being preferred to smoke-producing candles for everyday use.
In a similar ornamental vein, a wonderful mosaic panel depicts a scene important in Roman mythology, that of Paris' choice of the fairest of the goddesses, an act in classical mythology that led inevitably to the beginning of the Trojan War, and through Aeneas to the eventual founding of Rome. This piece is vivid and naturalistic, and illustrates nicely the Roman stylistic preference for room decoration, especially regarding the mosaics and frescoes that covered the public or common rooms. Those having themes that would engender contemplation and conversation, entertaining the mind as well as the eye, were favored.
Sarcophagus Showing the Myth of Actaeon,
ca. 125–130 A.D. (?)
Marble
49 5/8 x 92 7/8 in.
Musée du Louvre, Paris
(MA 459—INV. MR 878; N 1010)
© AFA/Musée du Louvre; Photo: Daniel Lebée and Carine De Ambrosis
Courtesy American Federation of Arts
An essential difference between the Romans and ourselves is that we see in Roman art no real conception of art for art's sake. It was not viewed as an expression of the individual who created it; rather it was purpose-driven – it always had a use. Of course, this is true of more than the decorative arts. Portrait busts and statues may be viewed as billboards as much as art, being intended largely for political and social propaganda. Even funerary art is intended to demonstrate as graphically as possible that which the deceased wanted people to remember about himself. Not content to display names and dates of birth and death as our own grave monuments tend to do, Roman sarcophagi were carved with elaborate friezes that illustrated the accomplishments and ideals of a dead man's life--or sometimes, in the cases of children taken too soon, the tragedy of their lost presumptive potential. These object lessons were then placed by the sides of roads which led to Rome, ensuring that the message would be seen and not forgotten.
The final object on display in this wonderful exhibition brings us back to our original consideration of modern interpretation and restoration of classical objects. This is a large statue of the Muse Polymnia, she who inspires sacred music. Her stola wrapped over her shoulders, she leans on a plinth in contemplation. However, this statue is as much modern as ancient, for only the plinth and the bottom of her draped legs date to antiquity. From the thighs up, the statue is a restoration--or perhaps we might say creation--of the sculptor Agostino Penna (Italian, 1728-1800) in imitation of a relief then on display at the Colonna Palace in Rome. This relief was itself a Roman copy of a Greek original from the Hellenistic period. Thus the piece is a perfect example of the evolution and use of the ancient artistic idiom in European culture through the centuries.
Polymnia,
fragment from 1st or 2nd century A.D.
Completed by Agostino Penna, 1780-84
Greek marble (lower part), Carrara marble (upper part)
73 1/4 in.
Musée du Louvre, Paris
(MA 472—INV. MR 325)
© AFA/Musée du Louvre; Photo: Anne Chauvet
Courtesy American Federation of Arts
I would like to add a final word on the layout of the exhibition itself. The OKCMOA has given over a large gallery on their first floor and all of their second floor galleries--nearly all of their space--to this grand exhibition. With 184 objects on view, one might expect to be a bit overwhelmed, yet the spaces are well arranged and traffic moves freely without too much crowding around the more popular works. Admittedly large groupings of portrait statues, such as those occurring in the hall devoted to the Emperors, do begin to resemble forests of marble, but this is a function of the medium, I think, and not the placement. By spending a little time one may begin to see the important stylistic differences more than the obvious similarities. Such objects as inscribed lintels are placed above head height, to be seen as much as possible as they might have been in situ. Monumentally sized works have plenty of space around them and do not dwarf the pieces sited nearby as much as they might otherwise.
The catalog for this exhibition is well worth the purchase. Every object shown in this exhibition is illustrated, with full captioning and the addition of a brief, yet thorough and interesting commentary on its history, provenance and significance. The thematic grouping of the exhibition is given expository background treatment at the beginning of each section, and the works are grouped in the catalog as they are in the exhibit, making the catalog a fine compliment to one's visit.
I wish especially to thank Dr. Hardy George, Chief Curator of the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, who was most generous with his time and patient attention. Dr. George's lively commentary was a very welcome addition to the material reviewed herein.
View a selection of works from Roman Art from the Louvre.
"Roman Art from the Louvre" is on view through October 12, 2008 at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, Oklahoma City, OK 73102 (Telephone: 405-236-3100 or toll free 800-579-9278; Website). Hours of operation are: Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Thursday, 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.; Sunday, Noon to 5:00 p.m. The museum is closed Monday. Admission is $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and students, and free to children 5 and under and museum members. Group tours require 3 weeks advance notice; call (405) 278-8207. Ample parking is available on surrounding streets and at nearby municipal and private lots.
This exhibition was organized by the American Federation of Arts and the Musée du Louvre, and supported by an indemnity from the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities.
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From your Guide: Gail S. Myhre, Correspondent for Museums and Special Exhibitions, is a specialist in Roman art and history who also appreciates a wide variety of Modernist movements. You may read all of her Special Exhibition Reviews here.
