Museum visit to the Met

Sofia Jacobsson

San Miguel

Objects as History

From October 9th, 2017

 

I went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, a large building with a grand staircase, giving the museum a truly monumental appearance. Atop the stone stairs, the doors were wide open, awaiting my entrance. I remember the anticipation I felt as I set foot in the main entrance, ready to delve into the endless exhibit halls filled with work made centuries ago by my distant ancestors. As I entered the room holding Mesopotamian artifacts, I was immediately struck by its unique atmosphere. Engulfed in the dark, soothing ambiance and cool air, I felt my connection to the distractions of modern life being severed, not caring for my phone and the hustle and bustle of the city, for my mind was completely focused on the stunning display of artifacts standing before me. From a distance, the presentation seemed almost prosaic, with the stark dark green walls and beams of light from the natural lighting of the day. Initially the lack of objects from this important civilization was disheartening,  it allowed me the space to study each artifact more closely. Experiencing the pieces in person, I felt their presence in a more immediate and physical way, observing the subtle details of design and motif that give the works their distinct character. I am constantly intrigued by the ancient quality of these objects; they are infused with a certain permanence and sense of mystery. In a way, when I look at these pieces I can feel an instinctual human connection. It is almost as if the artifact is a medium, through which the viewer interacts with an artist of another time. A person who lived thousands of years ago, and their work is a thing our eyes can share an experience of.

As I made my way through the Museum’s Egyptian exhibits, I found the organization and general layout of the artifacts was completely different from the Mesopotamian collection. It seemed a bit more important and powerful because of the way that the artifacts were kept in a bigger space, and  the Temple of Dendur was contained in higher ceilings and are hit by natural lighting. It was an area that was heavier in foot traffic, made by passer through in search of other exhibits that were on the first floor. The objects were also set up in a more spacious manner, and had entire rooms for themselves, instead of the singled off area in a shared space that was given to Mesopotamia. Despite the fact that were equal or even more important civilization. After passing through the first two, I moved onto the opposite side of the museum, to the Greek area. The most interesting part for me was to walk through the middle of the main hall, and see an Egyptian sculpture of a man having a face off from across the hall to the Greek side. This division produced a feeling of rivalry, and I was the goal of their fude, trying to attract me to one side or the other as I had to decide what civilization to visit. In the Greek area, the floor and walls were white, though not as clean a white as the marble that was used for the sculptures of men, women, and mythical creatures. It was presented in a clear case, made of glass, and at times was left with no casing. The objects that were bigger and had significant detail was left in its own area. Medium and small items were paired, giving a liberating display. The Roman section of artwork was in a similar setting, but was placed by objects that were from earlier times that were placed to see the evolution of figures made through time until roman style.

The object that I chose was “Marble Capital and Finial in the Form of a Sphinx” which is located in the Gallery room 154 against the south wall. It was created in Attica, Greece, 530 B.C. During the time period of the construction of this sphinx, the Greeks were working on gaining power around from Asia Minor, to Northern Africa and even to Spain. This specific piece is one of many that were influenced by the work from the Near East and Egypt, as they also introduced the use of different types of materials and the trading routes they used help them expand their ruling. The Sphinx was made with Parisian marble, a fine grained, almost translucent, white marble mostly used in the classical Greek era. It was used specifically for sculptures. The sphinx is a finial, an object that is put at the top, end, or corner of a construction. The sphinx is a mythical creature that is an animal with the head of woman and a body of a winged lion. According to ancient Greek mythology only one Sphinx existed which famously waited in front of the city Thebes. Before anyone could pass into the city, the traveller would have to solve a riddle presented by the Sphinx.This myth represented the way that the Greeks transition from old practices to the new practices of the deities of Olympus. This piece interested me because I am a Greek mythology buff, and enjoyed the sphinxes mythological story. I also enjoyed the somewhat humorous facial expression she is making and the positioning of her body, it feels like she is uncomfortable, which to me is unfortunate due to how long she has had to be in that stance.

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