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April on Art
In South Florida and Beyond

​

The pain of the Dying Gaul

10/23/2019

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The Roman original of the Dying Gaul, a copy of the Hellenistic original, is in the Capitoline Museum, Rome.
It started with an argument. My friend of mine insisted that Hellenic art was far superior to Hellenistic art. A teacher in the humanities, she was talking about classical Greek art produced when city states like Athens flourished. Of course, I had to admit the  Acropolis is beautifully proportioned...But overall, I had to say, "No," to her infatuation with classical Greek sculpture.  "Maybe the drawings on Greek vases are lovely," I added. "But nothing can compare to certain Hellenistic statues. At least not until the Renaissance produced Bernini. Just take a look at the Dying Gaul created in Hellenistic Greece, Alexander the Great's time."

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Detail of the Dying Gaul.
To prove my point, I searched online for the original  of this statue, shown here, and actually a Roman copy of the Hellenistic statue. It is magnificent. And it is the reason I was so, so disappointed when I saw a lesser version three years ago. It was  in New York City where the Metro Metropolitan Museum of Art had opened its blockbuster Pergamon exhibition July 2016. They actually bragged that the exhibit included the Dying Gaul--with no admission that it was a "copy of a copy" with very little of the emotional force of the original (at least to me.) 
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The copy of the Dying Gaul statue shown in the Met's exhibit of Pergamon and Hellenistic art...
Just go back and look at the original at the top of my blog post. There is an elegance to the young man. He is wearing only one thing, a torque--a stiff metal neck ring worn by Celtic nobles who went into battle. The statue captures our hearts as see life fading out of this heroic man's beautiful body. Just examining it catches our breath and reminds us of the shortness of life; how life can end suddenly, even when at its fullest and most magnificent as personified in the beautiful body and spirit of this warrior.

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    "Art washes away
    from the soul the dust
    of everyday life."
    -Pablo Picasso
     

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    Dear  Art Lover: 
       Welcome back!
       The pandemic shocked and slowed down the art world for many months. But now, artists, museums and galleries have adapted. They are providing new ways for you to enjoy the work of your favorite classic or new artists...and keep on top of cultural trends and developments.
        Here in Palm Beach County art venues from the Norton and Boca Raton Museums to the Art Warehouse in Delray Beach have reopened--with new exhibitions and socially distanced, masked viewing opportunities
         For those of your still reluctant to venture out (until you have your COVID-19 "shots")--the digital world will enable you to enjoy elements of the collections and exhibitions of prestigious institutions such as the Fricke, as well as opportunities to join docents on art tours from France to China. 
         So, I'm back again! To let you know what I consider "the best" of all these opportunities. Keep an eye on my blog to enhance your art-viewing pleasure!


    April Klimley
    February 12, 2021



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April W. Klimley - Klimley Communications
​1301 SW 10th Ave. # E-107, Delray Beach, FL 33444 

  info@klimley.com or 917.626.4838
  • Welcome
  • About
    • Our People
    • History of the Consultancy
    • Industry Specialties
    • Testimonials
  • SERVICES
    • Business Writing and Reporting >
      • Diversity Writing and Editing
      • Magazine & Book Editing
      • Blog Writing
    • Art & Culture Writing
  • THE ENGLIGH TUTOR
    • THE ENGLISH TUTOR
  • My Blogs
    • English Lessons
    • Sassy at 70
    • April on Art
    • The Innovator's Voice
  • Contact
  • Top Notch Tutoring
  • Top Notch Tutoring
  • I TUTOR ENGLISH