European Art & Decorative Arts Wall Text and Extended Labels

European Art & Decorative Arts Wall Text and Extended Labels FIRST FLOOR The Morgan Memorial The construction of the Morgan Memorial, completed in two sections in 1910 and 1915, more than doubled the size of the original Wadsworth Atheneum that opened in 1844. The building is dedicated to Junius Spencer Morgan, whose bust by William Wetmore Story stands at the top of the western stairs. Morgan was a Hartford man who founded a banking empire, and his son, J. Pierpont Morgan, chose to build the museum’s new wing as a tribute to his father. The total cost of the Memorial—over $1,400,000—represents the largest of J. Pierpont Morgan’s generous gifts. He spent over twelve years purchasing the several properties on which the Memorial stands, and was involved in its construction until his death in 1913. Benjamin Wistar Morris, a noted New York architect, was selected to design what was to be a new home for the Wadsworth Atheneum’s art collection. It was built in the grand English Renaissance style, and finished with magnificent interior details. Four years after J. Pierpont Morgan’s death, his son, J. Pierpont Morgan Jr., followed the wishes outlined in his father’s will and gave the Wadsworth Atheneum a trove of ancient art and European decorative arts from his father’s renowned collection. Living in the Ancient World Ordinary objects found at sites from the countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea and the Middle East reveal a great deal about daily life in the ancient world. Utensils for eating and drinking, glassware, lamps, jewelry, pottery, and stone vessels disclose the details of everyday life. Painted vases and bronze and pottery figures show Greek clothing and hair styles. Excavations from Pompeii and Herculaneum in Italy, buried when Vesuvius erupted in 79 ce, document everyday Roman life. A pervasive activity in ancient cultures, combat is illustrated on painted vases and through figural sculptures. Surviving works of bronze, pottery, glass, and stone demonstrate the traditions and practices of the artisans and artists who created them. The Ancient World Life in ancient Greece revolved around a thriving network of maritime trade. Early in their history Greeks began establishing trade posts across the Mediterranean. These grew into colonies, and by 500 Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art Page 1 of 78 Wall Text and Extended Labels, European Art 09-13-15-ay bce Greece had extended its reach to North Africa, Spain, the Middle East, and beyond. The exportation of luxury goods, such as pottery, helped spread Greek art and culture throughout these territories. Some colonies were more “Greek” than others. In Italy, Greek identity was so strong that the area was nicknamed Magna Graecia (Greater Greece). Art from the territories in Central Asia reflected a fusion of Greek and Buddhist elements. The Roman Empire It would be hard to exaggerate the importance of the Roman Empire in Western history. At its height it extended around the Mediterranean and into northern Europe. Rome’s legacy touches everything from plumbing and roads to medicine and government. The Romans were canny appropriators, adopting and improving all manner of things from peoples across their vast territories. They were especially captivated by the culture of ancient Greece. Much of Roman art was adapted from Greek precedents and put to practical use for the Empire. As the Empire expanded, the sources for Roman art expanded with it, to include contributions from places like Syria and Gaul (modern-day France). Everyday Objects in Ancient Cyprus Because of thousands of years of trade with Greece, Egypt, and the Middle East, Cyprus — an island nestled between Greece and Asia Minor (modern day Turkey) — became a melting pot of cultural exchange. Ceramics from Cyprus reflect the way artists freely combined elements from different cultures. The red- polished bowl was made using a technique from Asia Minor. The shapes of the jugs and jars originated in Greece, as indicated by the italicized Greek names on the labels. Like a lot of ancient art, many of these objects were discovered in tombs. Everyday Objects in Egypt People in ancient Egypt had fewer possessions than we do today. Humble vessels — pots, jars, dishes, baskets, and the like — were the mainstay of an Egyptian home. They were used to store food away from pests and dirt, transport goods, and cook and serve meals. Most Egyptians used containers made of fired clay. Wealthier Egyptians could afford more expensive materials like the stone vessels displayed in this section. But everyday objects were not only for the living. Many of them were discovered in tombs, where they had been buried with the deceased for use in the afterlife. People and Professions War was a big part of life in ancient Greece and Rome. In Greece, independent city-states often battled each other. The most famous example is the Peloponnesian War, fought between the cities of Athens and Sparta. Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art Page 2 of 78 Wall Text and Extended Labels, European Art 09-13-15-ay For the Roman Empire, being in control of a vast territory meant there was always a border to defend or new land to colonize. Greek and Roman armies were well organized, well trained, and well equipped. In exchange for a grueling life, soldiers were given glory and respect. Their deeds were immortalized through epic poems, vase paintings, and bronze statues. The objects in this section attest to the prominent role of war in ancient Rome and Greece. But war was not the only aspect of life in the Greco- Roman world. Like today, Greek and Roman citizens cared about the current fashions. They attended the theater and other forms of entertainment. Their art offers us a glimpse into this ancient cosmopolitan life. Everyday Objects in Greece and Rome In ancient Greece and Rome, the home was the center of daily life. It was where cloth was woven, meals were eaten, and children were educated. Wealthy homes had designated rooms where men conducted business and entertained important guests. Often the most lavishly decorated in the house, these spaces might have included a number of the objects on view here. One can imagine a Roman pater (head of household) debating politics on a couch decorated with the bronze mule heads displayed in this gallery. Many ancient objects that survived have been found in graves. It was customary for people to be buried with prized possessions and vessels full of food and wine. 2 Perfume vase (alabastron), 625–600 bce Greek, Corinth Terracotta Bequest of Henry E. Schnakenberg, 1971.52.157 Alabastra, small vessels for holding perfumed oil, always had narrow openings to restrict the flow of this expensive product. They were made in large numbers in Corinth and traded all over the Mediterranean. Barbarian on horseback, 2nd century bce Greek Bronze Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917.896.2 This figure’s costume identifies him as a barbarian—someone who did not speak Greek. It reflects the wide-ranging cultural interaction between Greeks and non-Greeks that resulted from trade, colonization, and war. Head of a woman, 4th–5th century ce Greco-Buddhist, Hadda, Eastern Afghanistan Stucco Bequest of Henry E. Schnakenberg. 1971.52.126 Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art Page 3 of 78 Wall Text and Extended Labels, European Art 09-13-15-ay Possibly a bodhisattva (enlightened being), this lifelike head was once part of a larger sculpture made of unfired clay. Considerable numbers of these figures stood in Buddhist chapels and monasteries in Afghanistan. Lead-glazed cup (skyphos), 1st century ce Roman, made in Asia Minor (modern Turkey) Lead-glazed pottery Bequest of Henry E. Schnakenberg, 1971.52.39 Cups like this—copied from metal forms with inexpensive molded decoration— were mass-produced in Asia Minor. The green glaze was made of lead silicate glass. Head of a woman, c. 150 ce Syria, Palmyra Limestone Purchased through the gift of Henry and Walter Keney, 1952.499 Palmyra, a wealthy trading city in the Syrian Desert, came under Roman rule in the 1st century. During this period large- scale funerary monuments featuring human busts in high relief were created for the wealthy. Pottery across the Roman Empire Pottery was made throughout the Roman Empire in Gaul (France), Britain, and Germany. Potters from Gaul specialized in Roman-style molded, red-glazed terracotta called terra sigillata, which was exported to other parts of the Empire, especially Britain. German potters produced color-coated pottery, often decorated with designs in applied liquid clay. Urn, c. 1st–2nd century ce Roman, France, possibly near Toulouse Red-glazed terracotta Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917.465 The leaf-like shapes were applied to the pot’s surface by squeezing liquid clay (called slip) from a bag through a nozzle (much like decorating a cake). This barbotine technique was used on many types of pottery across the Roman Empire. Figure of a Gaul, 1st–2nd century ce Roman Bronze Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917.854 Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art Page 4 of 78 Wall Text and Extended Labels, European Art 09-13-15-ay The short tunic identifies this figure as someone from Roman Gaul (roughly modern France). The area came under Roman control after being conquered by Julius Caesar in 54 ce. Storage jar or lamp (kandila), Early Cycladic I period, 3000 –2800 bce Cycladic, said to be from Amorgos or Paros Marble Bequest of Henry E. Schnakenberg, 1971.52.45 This vessel, called a kandila, has been labeled a storage jar, a lamp, and a ritual vessel. Made in the Cyclades, a group of islands in the Aegean Sea, it was labor intensive to produce because the marble would have been shaped with tools of stone, wood, or bone.

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