Artemis and the deer

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The Artemis statue in the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Artemis and the Stag ( English Artemis and the Stag ) is a bronze sculpture of the ancient Greek goddess Artemis from the early Roman Empire or Hellenism . In June 2007, the Albright-Knox Art Gallery presented the statue at auction . She scored 28.6 million US dollars , the hitherto highest price for a sculpture.

description

The statue depicts Artemis, the Greek goddess of hunting and wildlife , among other things . She stands on a simple plinth in a pose that suggests that she has just shot an arrow from her bow. At an unknown point in time, the arch was separated from the sculpture and has since been lost. The hair of the goddess is wavy and parted, on the back of the head it is gathered in a bun. She wears a short chiton that is folded at the hip, puffs outward and is partially covered by a himation . She wears laced sandals on her feet. A deer stands next to her. It is believed that the original sculpture featured a jumping dog to the right of the goddess.

The 92 cm tall Artemis stands on a 31.75 cm high base. The deer is 42.5 cm tall. The sculpture is made of bronze and could have been made sometime between the 1st century BC. BC and the 1st century AD. It was excavated on a construction site in Rome in the 1920s and changed hands several times before moving to the Albright-Knox Art Gallery in Buffalo , New York .

The Artemis sculpture has been described as "one of the most beautiful still existing works of art of classical antiquity". Despite the missing arch, it was praised for its very good state of preservation. The fine details are also striking, especially in Artemis' face.

Sold by the Albright-Knox Gallery

In November 2006, the Albright-Knox Art Gallery announced that they wanted to part with Artemis and the Stag . The statue has been popular with the public since it was added to the permanent exhibition in 1953. According to director Louis Grachos, however, the ancient sculpture did not correspond to the core mission of the institution, which was to “buy and exhibit contemporary art.” The decision to sell it was made through a vote by the museum management, confirmed by the members of the institution conformed to the guidelines of the American Alliance of Museums. The sale sparked questions about whether museums that are located in economically weak regions and have limited funds for operations and purchases can continue to live.

auction

The sculpture was auctioned on June 7, 2007 by Hugh Hildesley at Sotheby’s in New York . The estimated value was between five and seven million dollars. In the end, Artemis and the Stag fetched a record $ 28.6 million. It was the most valuable sculpture that has been sold at auction to date. The previous record from 2005 was $ 27.4 million for Constantin Brâncuși's Bird in Space . The retail price has since been exceeded by several modern works, but the only ancient sculpture that achieved a higher price is the Guennol lioness . The person who bought the work remained anonymous. She hired the art dealer Giuseppe Eskenazi to complete the deal.

See also

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ ( Page no longer available , search in web archives: Egyptian, Classical, and Western Asiatic Antiquities, including Property of the Albright-Knox Art Gallery. )@1@ 2Template: Dead Link / www.sothebys.com
  2. ^ Nina P. West: Artemis At The Top . In: Forbes . June 19, 2007 ( forbes.com ).
  3. ↑ Top 10 Most Expensive Auction Items - Most Expensive Antiquity . In: Time . September 13, 2010 ( time.com ).
  4. ^ Sotheby's sets a new world record for sculpture at auction. theartwolf.com, June 7, 2007, accessed March 23, 2017 .
  5. ↑ Bronze Sculpture of Artemis and the Stag brings $ 28.6M at Sotheby's. culturekiosque.com, June 8, 2007, accessed March 23, 2017 .
  6. ↑ Lee Rosenbaum (CultureGrrl): Mission Creep: Albright-Knox Belatedly Releases Its Complete Deaccession List . In: Arts Journal . February 14, 2007 ( artsjournal.com ).
  7. ↑ Bruce Jackson: The War Against the Albright-Knox . Archived from the original on February 1, 2010. Retrieved March 2, 2010.
  8. ↑ Re-examining deaccessioning at the Albright . Archived from the original on November 23, 2008. Retrieved March 2, 2010.
  9. ^ Colin Gleadell: Market news: Sculpture sells for record amount . In: The Daily Telegraph . December 11, 2007 ( co.uk ).