'The Dying Gaul' at the National Gallery of Art

On my January visit to the National Gallery of Art, I became reacquainted with 'The Dying Gaul', displayed in the rotunda of the East Building in a special one-work exhibition.

'The Dying Gaul' installed in Rotunda of National Gallery of Art East Building,
photo from National Gallery of Art website

We had originally seen this world famous sculpture at the Capitoline Museums in Rome, where it sits in the center of a gallery surrounded by other statues from Roman antiquity.

'The Dying Gaul' at the Capitoline Museum, Rome, photo by Blomme/McClure 2001

'The Dying Gaul' from the rear in the Capitoline Museum, Rome, photo by Blomme/McClure, 2001

In both settings it is a splendid work of art from the first or second century A.D.  It was dug up around 1621-23 in the gardens of the Villa Ludovisi in Rome.  Experts believe that it is a copy of even earlier Greek bronze thought to be created to honor the victory of the king of Pergamon over the Gauls in the third century B.C.  The Gauls were known for fighting nude with only their weapons, so the depiction of the wounded warrior naked except for a sword, a trumpet and a necklace has been deemed an accurate portrayal of a Gaul dying on the battlefield.

Following its discovery, it became such a famous sculpture that Napoleon's armies took it to Paris for display in the Louvre from 1797 to 1816.  Upon its return to Rome, the Capitoline museum became a featured stop on the 'grand tour' during the 18th and 19th centuries, wherein European gentlemen furthered their appreciation of the antiquities.

Isolated in the National Gallery's rotunda with better lighting, I was more keenly aware of both the extraordinary realism and incredible beauty of this wonderful, justly famed work.

'The Dying Gaul' on loan from the Capitoline Museum, Rome, marble, 2nd or 3rd century A.D.
 on display in the Rotunda of the National Gallery of Art, photo by McClure, 2014

'Tell It with Pride' at the National Gallery of Art

Before the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday week slips completely away, I do want to acknowledge the moving special exhibition at the National Gallery of Art called 'Tell It with Pride'.  It was one of many exhibitions mounted around Washington, DC in honor of the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington and Dr. King's 'I have a dream' speech.

The National Gallery used their version of Augustus Saint-Gaudens' memorial to Colonel Robert Gould Shaw and the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry as the centerpiece of an exhibit covering the formation and subsequent history of the galant African American regiment -- also depicted in the 1989 movie 'Glory' that starred Matthew Broderick (as Shaw), Denzel Washington (who won an Oscar for best supporting actor), and Morgan Freeman.

The 1897 bronze casting of the Shaw Memorial (below) sits in the Boston Public Garden.

'Shaw Memorial' by Augustus Saint-Gaudens, bronze casting, 1897, Boston Public Garden

The National Gallery's version (below), completed in 1900 is done in patinated plaster.  Beautifully lit, first glimpsed at the end of a long vista through several galleries it is a compelling, even sublime work of art. 

'Shaw Memorial' by Augustus Saint-Gaudens, patinated plaster, 1900, National Gallery of Art

It is on a long-term loan to the Gallery by the National Parks Service which has included the Gallery's restoration work. Saint-Gaudens created the 1900 plaster version so that he could make several 'refinements' to the sculpture.

Both versions show Colonel Shaw riding his horse beside a column of soldiers from the 54th infantry led by their 16-year-old drummer, Private Alexander Johnson, presumably marching into the battle at Fort Wagner in South Carolina. Nearly 50% of the 600 men were killed, captured, missing and presumed dead, or wounded in that battle.  An angel carrying a laurel branch hovers above the column.

The memorial is done in high relief with the mounted figure of Colonel Shaw nearly free-standing.  It must have been very difficult to cast in bronze for the Boston Garden.

The rest of the exhibition at the National Gallery included photographs of members of the 54th infantry and their recollections of how they came to join the regiment (they were all volunteers eager to fight for the Union side). Apparently many African Americans offered to fight for the Union at the start of the Civil War in 1961, but they were unable to enlist legally until Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on New Years Day, 1863.

In May of that year, the regiment was ready for battle and in June they were sent to the coast of South Carolina.  Although they were defeated in the battle to take Fort Wagner on July 18, 1863 and Shaw leading the charge was among the first to die, the 54th is remembered for proving that African Americans were as brave and committed to freedom as any in the Union Army.

In 1973 Lincoln Kirstein (the co-founder with George Balanchine of the School of American Ballet and New York City Ballet) and Robert Benson published 'Lay This Laurel', a book of Benson's photographs of the Shaw Memorial in Boston Garden.  

Photo from 'Lay This Laurel' by Richard Benson, 1973

The book lead to subsequent efforts to restore and preserve the memorial.

Happy Saint Sebastian Day!

Since January 20th is the 'saint' day for Saint Sebastian, I thought that I'd take advantage of the occasion to look at the depictions of Saint Sebastian that I encountered on my recent visit to the National Gallery of Art in Washington.  It seems that in the Renaissance many artists were drawn to the subject of Sebastian's martyrdom -- perhaps because it gave them the cover of Christian mythology for painting or sculpting the nude male figure.  On our travels around the world we've found his martyrdom to be a frequent subject in almost every art museum we have visited.

Here are the five depictions of 'Saint Sebastian' currently on view at the National Gallery in Washington (there may have been more that I missed):

'Saint Sebastian' by Matteo Civitali, painted terra cotta, c.1492, National Gallery of Art 

As we see here, Saint Sebastian is normally depicted bound to a tree or post and shot with arrows.  According to the Christian legend, Sebastian was a captain of the Praetorian Guard, the elite soldiers that guarded the Roman emperor. He had been raised as a Christian near Milan, but the Guard commanders and the emperor were unaware of his religious beliefs.

As a Praetor, he had occasion to counsel two imprisoned Christians prior to their martyrdom, keeping them steadfast in their Christian faith.  While doing so, he converted the official in charge of the prison and several other prisoners, all of whom then fled Rome with the aid of the prison official. His Christian proselytizing brought Sebastian to the attention of the Emperor Diocletian, who ordered him to be tied to a stake and shot by archers.

Matteo Civitali sculpts Saint Sebastian (above) tied to a tree with several arrow holes in his nearly nude body, looking toward heaven for divine support.  The cock of the hip and the bent knee seems quite fey, at least to modern eyes.

'Saint Sebastian' by Amico Aspertini, oil on panel, c.1505, National Gallery of Art

Aspertini paints the same event (above), showing three arrows piercing Sebastian's arm, torso, and legs.  The tree has become a column and he appears to be supported by a balustrade with a relief showing pagan Romans celebrating at a feast.  Aspertini's pose makes the saint seem almost casual about his martyrdom, leaning on the balustrade with one leg crossed over the other with no blood spurting from the arrow wounds.

'Saint Sebastian' by circle of Hubert Gerhard, gilded bronze, early 17th century, National Gallery of Art

Over a century later, Gerhard sculpts the same moment (above), except there don't appear to be arrows or wounds on the body, perhaps an 'archer's-eye' view just before the arrows were let fly.  It is certainly a graphic display of male nudity and also an arresting image of the body tied to the tree and writhing in discomfort.

'Saint Sebastian' by Tanzio da Varallo, oil on canvas, c. 1620-30, National Gallery of Art

Now comes the interesting part of the legend.  Saint Irene of Rome went to collect and bury the body of Sebastian after he had been shot by the archers and left for dead hanging on the tree or post or column.  She found him still alive and nursed him back to health.  Tanzio da Varallo depicts the two saints and an angel (above) as they remove the arrows and tend to his wounds. It is in the late Mannerist style -- which preceded the Baroque -- using extreme light and shadow, foreshortening of the bodies and several vivid colors in the robes of the three figures.

After Sebastian's recovery, he stood in waiting for Diocletian and berated the emperor for his persecution of the Christians.  The affronted emperor then ordered Sebastian to be clubbed to death and had his dead body thrown into the Roman sewers. This second martyrdom, of course, is much less picturesque and has seldom been depicted by artists.

'Saint Sebastian' by Francois Coudray, bronze, 1712, National Gallery of Art

This final sculpture by Coudray (above) is in full-blown Baroque style with swooning arcs and a carefully arranged agony.

The legend of the young soldier martyred twice by the anti-Christian emperor has been the inspiration for many artists through the ages.  Much of this art is homoerotic in the eyes of those of us so inclined.  For others, it illustrates the steadfast belief of an early Christian martyr.  For whatever reason you chose to celebrate this myth, it's Saint Sebastian Day!  So celebrate the patron saint of archers and athletes.