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MARBLE CARVING: THE DYING GAUL browse these categories for related items... All Items: Fine Art: Sculpture: Stone: Pre 1900: item # 756361
The Condon Kay Collection Post Office Box 2008 East Hampton, NY 11937 (631) 907-4294 Guest Book $5,000 |
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| THE DYING GAUL. Marble carving, 30" x 13" x 16" high (these are maximum dimensions, inclusive of the base; the figure is approximately 26" long from the end of his right hand to the end of his foot on his extended left leg; the figure is approximately 13 1/2" tall from the top of the base to the top of his head). A fine copy of the ancient Roman copy of the lost Greek (probably bronze) original commissioned by Attalos I of Pergamon circa 230 - 220 B.C., to honor his victory over the Galatians (immigrant Celts from Thrace). The Roman copy is thought to have been rediscovered in the early seventeenth century, on the grounds of the Villa Ludovisi, whose gardens formerly belonged to the first century B.C. Roman historian Sallust. The sculpture offered here was intended by its talented carver to be a precise copy of the Roman marble: the warrior, reclining upon his oval shield, supports his sagging torso with his right arm, his head is bowed, his right leg is tucked under him, while his left hand is braced against the lower portion of the right leg's thigh; the mortal wound, that to his center-right rib area, is present. Excepting a neck torc and a spray of leaves covering his genitals, the figure is naked. The marble base upon which the warrior rests is variously 2 1/4" to 3" thick, and is divided (longitudinally) into a smooth lower portion approximately 1 1/2" thick, and an upper portion whose rough carving is consistent with the rocky ground upon which the warrior rests. His sword, its sheath and a ribbon rest on the ground; his trumpet is at his feet. The entire sculpture (figure, base, sword, etc.) is carved from a single piece of marble; it weighs approximately 120 pounds. The sculpture differs from the third century B.C. Roman copy in details large and small. First, it is in reduced format, and though we do not have the dimensions of the Roman copy, the photographs of it we have seen indicate a life-size work of art. Second, the present base of the Roman copy was added after its rediscovery. It is smooth, unlike our copy's, making no attempt at rendering the "ground" naturalistically. The sword in our version is shorter (both absolutely and proportionally) and, unlike the Roman copy, does not extend to the edge of the base. Nor does the subject's shield in our version. But the most significant differences between the two works are to be observed in the warrior himself: the Roman copy's musculature is more detailed and nuanced, the subject's hair is spikier, and his head is held just slightly higher. And, of course, the subject's genitals are not covered by "fig leaves." As one of the most celebrated works to have survived from antiquity, the "Dying Gaul" was copied repeatedly, and occupied a place of central importance on the Grand Tour in the 17th and 18th centuries. The Roman marble copy of the Hellenistic original is in the Capitoline Museums, Rome. In lieu of specialist knowledge in the matters of European marble carving and European copies of ancient sculpture, we can only assign the broadest estimate of when our sculpture was created, that is, either the 18th or 19th century (it is not a 20th century work of art). One notes that the presence of a spray of leaves covering the subject's genitals is consistent with nineteenth century morality. We suggest a date of 1750-1850, provisionally. The marble sculpture is without breaks, chipping or cracks. Our extensive visual examination reveals no repairs. There are several dozen 2mm - 5mm. diameter, shallow (depth of 1mm. or less) nicks to the surface; there is a one-inch long by 2mm. wide, shallow (1mm. or less) scratch to the subject's left leg (upper portion of the calf, near the knee joint). There are numerous areas of brownish staining, which we understand are most likely due to absorption of skin oils from handling. The sculpture requires cleaning. In addition to commercially available cleaners and home remedies (in both of which the Internet abounds), the technology for cleaning fine art marble exists (for example, see the abstract of a paper by Kory Berrett, et al, "A New Option for Marble Cleaning," on the Objects Specialty Group website). The photographs here cast the staining in the worst possible light; viewed in natural daylight, the discoloration is not nearly as harsh looking. For a description of the Roman marble copy of the Dying Gaul, as well as Attalos the First's biography (including an account of his defeat of the Galatians) and the Gardens of Sallust, see Wikipedia (where other references for each are given). | |||||||||||||||
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