Descriptive Essay On Museum

1183 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: AP Art History Greek Art

Museum Paper It is easy to forget, when decapitated and nose-less stone heads are sitting on poles in glass cases, surrounded by signs begging you, “Do Not Touch” and “No Flash Photography”, in a reverberant room with an electric fan buzzing in the corner that these works are real. They stood tall and proud in front of temples, homes, tombs. They were passed in the town square everyday by commoners and ordered to reflect the power of their noblemen. Sometimes, if you can block out the modern world of tourists and ceiling lights, and stare particularly hard at a statue or vessel, you can imagine it being caressed by an Egyptian prince as he placed it in the tomb of his father, or passing Greek hands to be drunk from in celebration of Dionysus. As a quote by Agatha Christie at the museum said, “…the lure of the past came up to grab me (“Agatha”).” The past can be almost mystical, and definitely fascinating when given the time. The Penn Museum had plenty to offer in to be studied and wondered about. The work I have chosen is the Faun with Wineskin, located in the Rome gallery, which is a statuette from the High Empire, is typical of this time period, and is comparable to the Sleeping Satyr of Greece. The Faun with Wineskin is a statue, around four feet, of a young faun in a contrapposto pose; his right arm bent behind him and his left arm holding a tied sack next to a short tree stump. He was …show more content…

He is soft and boyish with a mischievous Peter Pan aura about him. When compared to earlier works, he may be simple but that does not mean he is unworthy of note. When I saw the Faun I was almost transported. The gleaming white of Rome encircled me. Laughter and undistinguishable conversations echoed around the forum. The Faun smirked through the crowds of men walking by in varying speeds. The scene vanished in a blink, and I hurried to take a few pictures, before being shepherded along to the next work.

Show More
Related

  • The Frick Collection: A Little Known Place with Big Names in Art

    1289 Words  | 3 Pages

    If the above mentioned paintings do not sound intriguing, the Frick’s remarkable holdings also include works by David, Goya, Renoir, Bruegel, and Velasquez. However, its collection is not limited to paintings only as significant sculptures like Bernini’s “Head of an Angel” from 1655 and Clodion’s ”Zephyrus and Flora” from 1799 can be found there as well. Along with these sculptures, an extensive collection of Italian bronzes and eighteenth century furniture combine to create a museum which although is small in size compared to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, makes up for it with an extensive collection of carefully selected pieces from some of the world’s most renowned artists.

    Read More

  • Kroisos vs Doryphoros

    556 Words  | 2 Pages

    The difference between an archaic statue such as Kroisos (fig. 5-11) and a classical statue such as Doryphoros (fig. 5-42) may not seem very great in a single glance. In fact, you may not notice any differences in that one glance. Yet, if you were to look at them closely, you can see that these two statues actually have very little in common.

    Read More

  • Statuette Of Youthful Dionysos Analysis

    718 Words  | 2 Pages

    curvy body, and holding a bunch of grapes. He was sometimes depicted drunk, leaning his body on an

    Read More

  • The Fabliaux Poem Meaning

    557 Words  | 2 Pages

    A fabliau is a short comic tale, chiefly in French, that is written in verse and usually consists of lewd humor. The title comes from the diminutive form of the word “fable”, and the earliest example of such poetry was found during the twelfth century. In the reading, “The Fabliaux” by Nathaniel E. Dubin, there is a collection of short poems that tell amusing stories, such as one of a girl who cannot stand to hear lewd language and a priest who fools a peasant into believing that his own eyes are deceitful.

    Read More

  • The Portrayal of Ancient Rulers

    1855 Words  | 4 Pages

    In conclusion, the portrayal of ancient rulers is dependent not only on the style of art popular during the era, but also on the evolution of the political climate. The portrayal of Menkaure, a pharaoh of the Old Kingdom in ancient Egypt, is of complete authority, control and power. His face does not show concern or grief over his people, because he is not challenged politically, the image of control coincides with his sole power over the kingdom. While the depiction of Alexander the Great, in ancient Greek coins is deified. Alexander’s leadership ended with world domination; therefore, his deified portrayal on monetary funds is particularly appropriate. By contrast, Philip the Arab’s portrait sculpture almost resembles a present day photograph with its capture of fleeting expression. This expression of anxiety and sadness is a representation of the political turmoil during the time period of his rule. Taking the progress of ancient cultures into account, how does the art of sculpting improve in the manipulation of the medium used?

    Read More

  • A Sculpture of Adam by Tullio Lombardo

    580 Words  | 2 Pages

    With works in every known medium, from every part of the world, throughout all points in history, exploring the vast collection of the Museum of Modern Art was an overwhelming experience. The objects in the Department of European Sculpture and Decorative Arts are an important historical collection, reflecting the development of a number of art forms in Western Europe. The department's holdings covered sculpture in many sizes, woodwork and furniture, ceramics and glass, jewelry, and tapestries. The gallery attracted my appreciation of the realistic qualities of the human body often portrayed in sculpture.

    Read More

  • Stepladder of Evolution in Picasso’s Acrobat’s Family with a Monkey

    980 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Picasso’s "Acrobat’s Family with a Monkey", the stepladder like orientation of characters demonstrates an evolutionary procession.

    Read More

  • The Visit Of The Metropolitan Museum

    902 Words  | 2 Pages

    The trip to the metropolitan museum was a great trip to learn and to study art. What is art you may ask, well art is an expression you use to show a visual picture. It can be through painting or through sculptures. Some other example of art is music, literature and dancing. For today 's paper we will be talking about art as a sculpture. The two sculptures in this photo are King Sahure and a Nome God and Marble Statue of Dionysos leaning on archaistic female figure (Hope Dionysos). You can find these statues in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. King Sahure and a Nome God is an Egyptian art that was made in 2458-2446 BCE. The artist is unknown. It was during the 5th dynasty and it also belong to the old kingdom. The Marble statue of Dionysos Leaning in the archaistic female figure is a Greco-Roman art. Belonging to the Roman imperial period of the late first century A.D. Augustan or Julio-Claudian period 27 B.C., to 68 AD. It is classified as a stone sculpture and it is made out of marble. The height of the statues is 82 ¾ inches. There is no evidence who was the original artist.

    Read More

  • Metropolitan Museum Analysis

    1489 Words  | 3 Pages

    The metropolitan museum is the largest art museum in the United States, and one of the largest in the world. Upon going to the museum I found myself wondering how I can choose three artifacts out of nearly a million different relics. After spending countless hours roaming the three story museum and looking at the vast amount of artifacts I found myself overwhelmed with inspiration to write this analysis. The only dilemma was how one can narrow down the selection to three relics out of hundreds of thousands. After sometime I picked the three relics that I found interesting, spiritual, and showed a significance in modern and ancient history. The three relicts I will discuss in this essay are the following; Family Tree, Emperor’s Twelve-Symbol Robe, and lastly Mans Shirt, these three artifacts show in my opinion how god, the spirit and the universe all reflect upon the individual wearing the clothing/stories painted upon the person.

    Read More

  • Greek Culture During The Archaic Age Of Ancient Greece

    1493 Words  | 3 Pages

    The sculpture of the nude man holding the lionesses shows how the revival of Greek trade brought influences of Near Eastern cultures to Greek civilization. The amphora that has the artwork of two separate artist’s shows how wine is an important trade good in Greek culture as well as the use of hoplite armies to obtain more land. The drinking cup also uses its imagery and color patterns to show how during the Archaic Age two Greek city-states battling over land was common, along with their use of well-equipped hoplite soldiers. From these Ancient Greek pieces, it is evident that the values of a culture are entwined with the type of art, which the artist of that culture

    Read More

  • How Does Dickens Create Tension In The Lead-Up To Nancy’s Death?

    1289 Words  | 3 Pages

    Fagin is the mastermind among the criminals; he is described as an “Old Jew” he has an ugly appearance although he is described as “shrivelled” he is selfish and has been corrupted by poverty yet unknowingly shows sympathy towards Oliver, as it has shown in the novel when Oliver is told to make a robbery in Mr. Brownlow’s house, until Oliver gets shot and then Fagin shows his love towards him, this makes the reader feel that even criminals may do the unlawful work they still have some emotions and love for other humans, also in this scene Fagin reveals himself t...

    Read More

  • Fabliau In The Miller's Tale

    1137 Words  | 3 Pages

    A fabliau is characterized as a, “short comic, often bawdy tale in verse that deals realistically and satirically with middle-class or lower-class characters. Fabliaux were often directed against marriage and against members of the clergy,” as stated by the Columbia Encyclopedia. [2] This genre of work began to flourish in France during the 12th and 13th century, where it then continued to move to the English in the 14th century. The fabliau was told by jongleurs that were professional storytellers. Many of these jongleurs were college students that use their earnings to pay off their debts.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Augustus Of Prima Porta

    1836 Words  | 4 Pages

    Here, we will be looking at a rendition of the high marble statue of Augustus Caesar known as “Augustus of Prima Porta.” Originating from 1st Century A.D., it is said that there is a possibility that the original sculpture could have been of greek descent. Upon a general overview of the sculpture, one can see that Augustus fulfils a millitarial role of some kind. From his very stance to the garments portrayed on him, Augustus is draped in a decorative cuirass and a tunic, accompanied by a figure of Cupid clutching on to his right calf. After taking the general themes of the work into account, one can then began to start unraveling the many symbolic elements embedded into the sculpture that allude to godly themes. Starting from the crown of his head, the very chiselment and structure of his face gives the work a youthful element to it, even though some say that Augustus was around 40 years old. A recurring theme within Greek and Roman culture is the matter of godliness and immortality amongst idolized figures themselves. This idea is usually depicted by displaying powerful human being in a younger light. This

    Read More

  • Ara Pacis: The Monument in Augustan Arts

    1868 Words  | 4 Pages

    Zanker, Paul. The power of images in the Age of Augustus. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1988. (P. 158 ~ 159)

    Read More

  • My Museum Visit Report

    1365 Words  | 3 Pages

    When first arriving at the museum it was an old styled, rustic, building that was not very modern, which I think fits into the theme of the museum. The outside of the building had history, similar to how the inside of museum is filled with a history. There was also an impressive statue of former president Theodore Roosevelt. I thought it was an interesting display, but Theodore Roosevelt was an advocate for the preservation of national parks and the conservation of animals, moreover, I thought it was a great tribute to him. I think the outside of the museum shows how rich the history of the world is and there is so much to learn. The past has been polished for the people of the present to understand and admire. Overall, I felt every exhibit was easy to understand and not intimidating; subsequently, it was easy for children and adults to look at.

    Read More

More about Descriptive Essay On Museum

Open Document