Artemision Bronze

The Artemision Bronze (often called the God from the Sea) is an ancient Greek sculpture that was recovered from the sea off Cape Artemision, in northern Euboea (Modern Greek Εύβοια, Évia). It represents either Zeus or Poseidon, [The loosely held fingers of the right hand have been variously interpreted as suited for wielding a separately-cast thunderbolt or a separate trident. A cogent summary of technical and iconographic arguments for Zeus was presented by George E. Mylonas, "The Bronze Statue from Artemision", "American Journal of Archaeology" 48.2 (April 1944), pp. 143-160.] and is slightly over lifesize [2.09 meters.] brandishing a missing thunderbolt (if Zeus) or trident (if Poseidon) with his raised right hand and sighting over his extended left hand.

The debate over whether the statue represents Poseidon or Zeus hinges on the lost attribute held in the right hand. As Carol Houser writes, "Sometimes the Artemision protector is called 'Poseidon'. Those who would do so have been known to argue that the image must be that of the great sea god since the statue was found in the Mediterranean. But like other statues of totally different subjects, this one went into the sea simply because it was on board a ship that sank. Others cite the example of the Poseidonia coins, overlooking the much weightier evidence presented by the numerous surviving statuettes of Zeus launching his thunderbolt in a pose matching that of the Artemision figure." [Houser in "Greek Monumental Bronze Sculpture", Houser, C., and Finn, D. 1983. New York: The Vendome Press. p. 79.] A major additional problem with that hypothesis is that a trident would obscure the face, especially from the profile view, which most scholars (even those who have supported an identification as Poseidon) have held to be the most, or even the only, important view. Iconographic parallels with coins and vase painting from the same time show that this is extremely unlikely. However, the trident may have been unusually short, avoiding the problem. On the other hand, the statue is essentially a larger version of an extensive series of smaller solid bronze figurines extending back into the late 7th century, all of which strike the same pose and represent Zeus [E.g., the [http://classics.uc.edu/~johnson/myth/zeus_images/zeus3.jpgso-called Dodona Zeus] ] . On the basis of this and other iconographic parallels with vase-painting, [Such as [http://www.beazley.ox.ac.uk/CVA%20Plates/SPIFF/Images200/F15/CVA.F15.663/dc001001.jpe this vase in France] , in which Poseidon holds his trident below, so as to avoid obscuring the face, while Zeus adopts the same pose as the Artemision bronze.] most scholars presently think it is a Zeus. However, opinion is divided.

The god is caught at the moment of pause in the full potentiality of his coming movement, described by Carol Mattusch: "the figure has the potential for violence, is concentrating, poised to throw, but the action is just beginning, and we are left to contemplate the coming demonstration of strength." [Mattusch 1988:151f.] It is an original work of great strength in the Severe style that preceded the fifth-century classical style, dated to ca. 460 BCE. A comparison can be made with the Charioteer of Delphi, a roughly contemporaneous bronze.

Discussions concerning its provenance have found champions for most of the Greek mainland centers technically capable of such a large-scale sculpture: Attica— where Christos Karouzos [Karouzos, "Ho Poseidon tou Artemisiou" "Deltion" 13 (1930-31) pp 41-104, and "The find from the sea off Artemision", "Journal of the Hellenic Society" 49 (1929).] associates it with Kalamis (about 470-440 BCE)— Boeotia, Aegina, Sicyon or Argos. [Gisela M.A. Richter, reviewing H. G. Beyen, "La Statue d'Artemision" in "American Journal of Archaeology" 35.2 (April 1931), pp. 242-243; C. A. Robinson, Jr., "The Zeus Ithomatas of Ageladas", "American Journal of Archaeology" 49.2 (April 1945, pp. 121-127) p. 127, note 40.] The sculpture has also been associated with Onatas [By Lullies and Hirmer.] or Myron. [By V. Poulsen, in "Acta Archaeologica", 11 (1940) pp 41-42.] The "Poseidon/Zeus" is a highlight of the collections in the National Archaeological Museum of Athens. [Inv. no. 15161.]

The sculpture was discovered in 1926 [Only the left arm was found in 1926. First reported to the scholarly community by Oekonomos, in "Praktika of the Academy of Athens" 1928, pp 750ff.] and further excavated in 1928, at the site of a shipwreck that occurred no earlier than the middle of the second century BCE. Unfortunately, not much is known about the wreck because exploration was abandoned when a diver died, in 1928, and was never resumed. Many such shipwrecks are of Roman date and were of vessels 'exporting' Greek art to Italy, but it is unclear whether the Artemision wreck is one of these.The empty eye-sockets were originally inset, probably with bone, as well as the eyebrows (with silver), the lips, and the nipples (with copper).

The sculpture's head, now an icon of Hellenic culture, formed the subject of a Greek postage stamp.

Notes

References

*F. Noack in "Die Antike" 5 (1929), pp
*Mylonas in "American Journal of Archology" 48 (1944) pp 143ff. A case for the subject as Zeus.
*Mattusch, Carol C. 1988. "Greek Bronze Statuary: From the Beginnings Through the Fifth Century B.C." (Ithaca:Cornell University Press) The Artemision god is discussed pp. 150-53.

External links

* [http://www.seshat.ch/home/poseidon.htm Franz Gnaedinger, "Poseidon from Cape Artemision: The Geometry of a Greek Masterwork"]
* [http://www.grisel.net/athens_museum.htm National Archaeological Museum of Athens: highlights]
* [http://www.uwm.edu/Course/mythology/0300/613.jpgIllustration of the complete sculpture]