Category: BLOG POST 1 (Page 1 of 2)

The lion that I have chosen is depicted on an oliphant, a hunting horn made from the tusk of an elephant that was blown to make signals during hunts. The oliphant dates back to the 12th century, and it is from southern Italy. During this time, the Normans, an ethnic group that surfaced in Normandy in northern France, were conquering the lands occupied by the Byzantine Empire. It was allegedly on display in a Benedictine monastery in Dijon, France, likely taken along with other artifacts as “spoils of war.” The oliphant is made from ivory and has two silver bands with small hoops that a strap likely threaded to make it easier to carry the horn. There is also a brown leather case that the oliphant was found with, and it is reportedly the only surviving relic to have been saved with its original case. The artist is unknown.

The artist carved rings confining different animals on to the oliphant. The rings are all connected with intertwining loops around the horn. Many different animals are depicted on the oliphant, such as llamas, antelope, rabbits, birds, and lions. The lion in particular is the only animal shown with two eyes: the artist only carves the profiles of the other animals. The lion’s eyes bulge out of his head, and, with crossed eyebrows, he is looking in the direction of a llama in the ring adjacent to his. The lion’s back legs are crouched, as if the ring is too small for him. The lion is also the only animal whose mouth is open. These characteristics all emphasize the lion’s predatory nature. His eyes stalk his prey and his legs are ready to pounce and mouth ready to bite, showing his bloodthirsty aggression. The head is as big as half of its body and is the main point of emphasis on the lion. The lion’s mane is carved as lines that are small compared to the lion’s massive shoulders. The tail appears to resemble a bird, with an eye and a beak-like tip. In general, the lion’s depiction is stylized, with the big eyes and large upper body cartoonishly emphasized. 

The lion’s ring loops to form the ring of the llama below him, and the llama’s ring is connected to that of the antelope next to it. This continuous link between all of the animals on the oliphant represents the natural connection between all animals in an environment. It suggests the flow of energy in nature and the dependence that all animals have on other organisms that they coexist with. Furthermore, it highlights the existing predator-prey relationship in all ecosystems. Overall, the lion is depicted as the most aggressive animal in nature among other species. As a viewer, I recognize the lion as a predator due to the depiction of the eyes and body, but the carving helps me understand the interconnectedness that all animals in nature embrace.

Background Information

Artist: Unknown

Country of Origin: Cyprus (from the necropolis of Salamis)

Culture of Origin: Cypriot 

Date: Second half of the 5th century B.C.

Medium: Limestone 

Period: Cypro-Classical 

Analysis

This sculpture immediately resonated with me as I walked into the room it is housed in. I was struck by the lion’s fairly lifelike appearance because none of his features seemed blown out of proportion too much, such as the realistic torso to leg ratio and face to torso ratio. Moreover, the lion’s paws and mane are not overemphasized and are actually realistic. Nevertheless, I cannot say that the sculptor made the lion hyper-realistic because there are features that are somewhat unrealistic, such as the lion’s obviously widened and shortened nose and his excessively muscular and thick torso and legs. The color of the sculpture is consistent all throughout because the sculptor used the same medium. Interestingly, certain etches on the sculpture make for realistic shadows, such as between the lion’s stomach and back leg, near his front paws, and his large eyes and eyelids that almost make it seem as if the lion is looking at us. Furthermore, the darkness inside his mouth emphasizes the lion’s open mouth. Additionally, the lion’s mane is seemingly perfect because of the evenly-spaced etches emulating the fur on the mane. Nearly every part of the lion’s body is noticeably textured, thus standing out from other parts of the body, such as the torso and the legs do. Although the lion’s teeth are visible as his mouth is open widely, he does not look particularly angry. Rather, he seems slightly happy, which is ironic considering that his purpose is to guard the tomb. Another possibility is that he is actually opening his mouth to threaten potential attackers. In fact, it’s normal that there could be various interpretations of this work of art. 

This work of art consists solely of the limestone sculpture mimesis of a recumbent lion. This lion is a symbol of strength, power, and patience, as seen in his body’s bulkiness and his mature facial expression, which are relevant to his actual role in history as a guard of the tomb. Personally, I am most interested in the lion’s story and the actual emotions the sculptor intended to portray. 

Lion, copper alloy

German, Franconia, Nuremberg

ca. 1400

This copper alloy lion statue is immediately striking in the way that it is pictured with its chest puffed up and pointing forward. It appears confident and brave, with its mouth open, seemingly, mid-roar. The positioning of the lion vaguely resembles the image of a hunting dog or a terrier, facing forward, alert and ready. The sculpted lion is highly stylized, with humanoid eyes, which further emphasize its alertness, and a long neck, which serves to make its chest seem broader and fuller and allows the lion to seem proud and strong.  Its mane, although minimal, is highly texturized drawing your eyes into it. The swirls engraved into the area of the sculpture meant to serve as the mane draw your eyes in, giving the feeling of the mane taking up a much more substantial area of the lion.  The golden color of the lion, in a way, alludes to its regality and kingly status, in comparison to other animals. I was immediately drawn to this image of the lion. It accurately captured the kingly nature of the lion and its proud, bold alertness. It conjures the idea of the lion as the king of the jungle and king of the beasts.

Detailed Information: 

Title: Bronze Handle in the Form of a Lion

Country or Culture of Origin: Greek

Date: 5th century B.C.

Medium: Bronze

Written Analysis:

This piece of bronze handle was molded into the form of a lion. As can be seen, it’s more stylish than realistic. For example, the head of the lion is backward in a sense that wouldn’t be possible for a lion. The lion is slender and depicted rather delicate than dominating and oppressive as we would expect from the king of the jungle. This art piece emphasizes the enormous paws, in comparison to the rest of the body, and bared teeth. This is quite surprising seeing how the artist chooses to create such features for a lion that initially came off as delicate. It counters the tiny mane and slender body and makes it more symmetric to the image we have of a lion. 

This is most likely just a representation of a lion since there isn’t much else besides the lion and the plates the lion’s paws stand on. The plates are decorative, similar to the lion, and molded into a form of a fan or something like so. The overall effect of how this lion is represented is, aforementioned, stylish and decorative. Although not particularly align with the typical image we have of lions, it fits the idea of the object, bronze handle, fairly well. 

Detailed Information: 

The statue is a sculpture of a lion made of volcanic stones known as nenfro to depict lions with wings and sphinxes. It is carved around 550 B.C. and discovered during the excavation of tomb monuments in the Etruscan city of Vulci. The discovery of this sculpture in excavation of Necropoli was intended to protect the entrance of chamber tombs which was covered by a tumulus. The lions, often in appeared in pairs, acted as guardians of the tombs representing the traditions of ancient Egypt and Near East.

Analysis: 

This sculpture of a lion is uniquely presented, with wings and fearful looking eyes. The emphasis on the wings showed that lions are godly creatures. It is standing tall and proud appearing to be guarding something.  The abstractness of the wings strikes the audience’s eyes and enhances the idea the lions are symbolism for authority. The sculpture has accurately represented the strong and compacted body of a lion and its powerful jaws and teeth looking as if it is ready to take down its prey.  Its jaws are wide open as if it’s about to eat its prey.  Its muscular legs showed its ferociousness. The size of the sculpture is relatively medium but does not take away from the fierceness from its sharp eyes. Lions, king of the jungle,  are loyal and powerful.  Lion sculptures in the entrance of cemeteries show that back then people believed that lions are able to protect them as guardians. This piece of art might not have fully represented an actual lion but all the characteristics have been shown perfectly.

This striking, bronze sculpture “A Lion Attacking a Horse” from the Frick Collection was likely created between 1630 and 1640 by Italian artist Giovanni Francesco Susini. The first thing I noticed when I saw the sculpture was the size of it: it is actually quite small. Lions are meant to be these large, powerful creatures, yet Susini chose to reduce the scale of his work. Moreover, the smaller size of this sculpture does not minimize the power exerted by the lion. For instance, Susini put a great deal of effort into the grip of the lion on the horse’s body. There are distinct marks on the body of the horse near the lion’s front legs and mouth, showing the intensity to which the lion is attacking the horse. Also, the lion seemingly has one of its back legs gripping the horse’s tail. Even though it is unrealistic that a lion could grab hold of a tail, I think Susini wanted to depict that the horse had been truly overpowered and would not be escaping the lion. Although this assignment is about the mimesis of a lion, the most powerful aspect of the sculpture is the facial expression of the horse, which truly encompasses the fear and pain that would be experienced in reality. Additionally, there is a certain elegance about the piece’s smooth texture and rounded structure, perhaps exemplifying that nature can be simultaneously gruesome and beautiful. 

https://collections.frick.org/objects/151/the-comte-and-chevalier-de-choiseul-as-savoyards

https://www.frick.org/visit/museum/faq

Information:

The artist of this artwork is Francois-Hubert Drouais who created this piece in 1758. This beautiful illustration was created by oil on a canvas. Francois-Hubert Drouais was born in France and was famous during his time and produced works for clients such as the French’s royal family. Some of his most accomplished artworks are “Family Portrait”, “Madame de Pompadour at her Tambour Frame”, and “Portrait of a Young Women as a Vestal Virgin”. Francois-Hubert Drouais was best known for his portraits especially of little children.

Analysis:

The dog in this piece immediately grasped my attention. The dog was more realistic than the little boys in my opinion. The hair that was hanging off the dog’s arm and its floppy ears made the dog’s fur look very realistic. The color resembles what a real dog looks like. The dog does not have emphasized body parts but his eyes tell a story. The dog is looking up to a young boy and I viewed the dog as upset. With the paw in the boy’s hand, the dog looks at the boy and seems to be begging for attention. While the boys look at the painter and point to the box the dog remains focused on the boy. The dog’s main priority is the boy and it seems like nothing could distract him. The boys seem very distracted and the dog is their last concern which is why the dog is upset. This painting seems like a mimesis and Francois-Hubert Drouais was trying to recreate what was right in front of his eyes. The boys, the setting, and the dog are all extremely realistic and the artist had great skill in order to produce this artwork. My reaction towards the piece is it was beautifully executed and shows the dog and the boys’ relationship while being a mimesis.