The first Museum that I visited was the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Even though I have seen this museum many times before it always strikes me as beautiful. The Museum is most strongly influenced by ancient Greek temples; this is apparent in the building’s layout, the columns and the statues. The large steps in the front could be influenced by Etruscan temples more than Greek temples because the steps in a Greek temple go all around the building. Looking up at the building from the street is intimidating due to the size and grandeur of the design. As I go up the stairs the size increases and the elaborate decorations become even more intricate. One of the most detailed parts of the building could be the Corinthian columns in the center pavilion, but there are also Ionic columns on either side. The colors that decorate the top of the buildings and the columns are bright oranges and teals. When I reach the top of the stairs and I can see the entire building, which is no longer intimidating but inviting because of the warm tones such as rich honey and orange, accented by a variation of bright colors. These bright color and decorations on the tops of the pavilions and columns seem to be inspired by Ancient Egyptian art.
One of the most beautiful parts of the exterior Museum are the statues that are placed all around; the gryphon on the edges of the roof, the equestrian statues placed on either side of the steps or the magnificent statues that fill the pediment of the northeastern pavilion. The pediment statues are the most appealing, because they stand out from the other statues in many ways. They are larger than life size, brilliantly colored terracotta figures that are only on one side of the building. The statues are inspired by mythological gods and goddesses of western culture, they display sacred love. Unfortunately the two remaining pediments are empty though it is easy to imagine what they could look like if they were filled.
When I enter the museum I observe that the Greco-Roman theme is continued throughout the interior, the colors are warm and the space is very open. The columns are on either side of the staircase leading my eyes to the sculpture of the Roman goddess Diana. The statue is over 14 feet tall and made of copper sheets which give the sculpture a green color. Diana stands gracefully on top of a ball while she aims her bow and arrow.
After walking through the museum I found a painting that fascinated me on several levels. The painting Ancient Bird and Mummified Bird by Leon Kelly caused me to stair at it's canvas trying to understand what I was seeing. The painting depicts two brilliantly colored birds attached to each other. It was the detail and the bizarre quality that kept me so transfixed especially after I gave up on trying to understand the concept. After reading the description and learning that the artist is from Philadelphia I felt a deeper connection to the artwork.
A more historical piece of art that caught my eye was the Portrait of Elizabeth Brown Montier by Franklin R. Street. This artwork was paired with another by the same artist which shows the husband of Elizabeth Brown Montier. I was drawn to this painting because it is paired with a portrait of her husband. Seeing them together was quite romantic and upon reading the description I learned that they were newlyweds from Philadelphia at the time the portraits were done. I also learned that they were a prosperous African-American couple living freely in the seventeenth century. As I learned this information I was very interested in learning more about them and I also felt a connection to them.
For my 2nd museum trip I visited the Rodin Museum, also located on the Ben Franklin Parkway. This museum houses bronze casts of the original clay sculptures of Auguste Rodin. The exterior of the museum is currently under construction but from what was visible I could tell that the museum is classically designed; mostly a Greco-Roman theme.
The first statue to greet visitors is the statue of the Thinker, alone this statue could represent philosophy or contemplation. In the center of the entranceway is The Gates of Hell, a sculpture of two doors on which are many depictions of torture and damnation. Some of the small sculptures found throughout the Gates are miniatures of larger statues found inside and outside the museum. The Thinker for example can be seen at the very top of The Gates of hell though because of the context he is considered to be the artists depiction of the author Dante, because Rodin based The gates of Hell on his poem The Divine Comedy.
Inside the museum the design is also very classical, the high vaulted ceilings remind me of a cathedral. The content inside the museum was a mixture of bronze and marble casts of original clay sculptures. The museum was founded by Jules Mastbaum who was inspired to make museum dedicated to the works of Auguste Rodin in Philadelphia. Unfortunately the French government would not allow anyone to take Rodins original clay sculptures and Mastbaum was only able to bring back casts made from the originals. Even though these casts were not made by Rodin I still felt connected to him because I could see each mark he made with his fingers.
Off to one side of the museum was a section devoted to Rodin's sculptures of hands. It is clear that Rodin studied the expressions of hands in great detail by looking at one sculpture in particular, The Cathedral shows two very delicate hands almost entwined. To me, these hands are the definition of beauty and grace even though there is no face or body to go along with them. After observing how intensely Rodin worked on hands in this section I notice that the hands in each sculpture of the museum are incredibly expressive and capable of telling a story on their own.
In the center of the Museum is a large sculpture titled The Burgers of Calais, which is based on the story of six men who volunteered to be sacrificed in order to save the starving people of their town. Rodin's goal in The Burgers of Calais was to capture the emotions of the six men during the moments that they believed they were about to die. The statues stand slightly larger than life among the viewers but they are placed atop a small pedestal instead of a larger one. By placing these sculptures so low to the ground the viewer is able to look into the faces of each man and really feel the emotions of sorrow and submission. Whether holding on tightly to the keys of the city or attempting to make the viewer to witness the sculptures as a whole, the hands show just as much tension and expression as the faces of this sculpture.
No comments:
Post a Comment