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    Power and Pathos: Bronze Sculpture of the Hellenistic World

    July 28–November 1, 2015

    Getty Center

    Seated Boxer

    Seated Boxer, “The Terme Boxer” (detail), 300-200 B.C., bronze and copper. Museo Nazionale Romano—Palazzo Massimo alle Terme, Rome. Su concessione del Ministero dei beni e delle attività culturali e del turismo—Soprintendenza Speciale per il Colosseo, il Museo Nazionale Romano e l’area archeologica di Roma.

  • Portrait of Aule Meteli

    Portrait of Aule Meteli, “The Arringatore,” 125-100 B.C., bronze and copper. Museo Archeologico Nazionale, Firenze (Soprintendenza per i Beni Archeologici della Toscana)

  • Herm of Dionysos

    Herm of Dionysos, 200-100 B.C., Attributed to the Workshop of Boëthos of Kalchedon, bronze, copper, and stone. The J. Paul Getty Museum

  • Alexander the Great on Horseback

    Alexander the Great on Horseback, 100-1 B.C., bronze and silver. Su concessione del Ministero dei Beni e delle Attività Culturali e del Turismo—Soprintendenza per i Beni Archeologici di Napoli. Foto Giorgio Albano

  • Horse head

    Horse Head, “The Medici Riccardi Horse,” about 350 B.C., bronze and gold. Museo Archeologico Nazionale, Firenze (Soprintendenza per i Beni Archeologici della Toscana). Photo: Antonio Quattrone

  • Portrait of Seuthes III

    Portrait of Seuthes III, about 310-300 B.C., bronze, copper, calcite, alabaster, and glass. National Institute of Archaeology with Museum, BAS. Photo: Krasimir Georgiev

  • Portrait of a Man

    Portrait of a Man, 300-200 B.C., bronze, copper, glass, and stone. The Hellenic Ministry of Culture, Education, and Religious Affairs. The Archaeological Museum of Kalymnos. Image © Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports/Archaeological Receipts Fund

  • Sleeping Eros

    Sleeping Eros, 300-100 B.C., bronze (with a modern marble base). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Rogers Fund, 1943 (43.11.4). Image © The Metropolitan Museum of Art / Scala, Firenze

  • Victorious Athlete

    Victorious Athlete, “The Getty Bronze,” 300-100 B.C., bronze and copper. The J. Paul Getty Museum

  • Weary Herakles

    Weary Herakles, A.D. 1-100, bronze, copper, and silver. Museo Archeologico Nazionale dell’Abruzzo Villa Frigerj. Su gentile concessione della Direzione Regionale per i Beni Culturali e Paesaggistici dell'Abruzzo: Soprintendenza per i Beni Archeologici dell'Abruzzo—Chieti

  • Seated Boxer

    Seated Boxer, “The Terme Boxer,” 300–200 B.C., bronze and copper. Museo Nazionale Romano—Palazzo Massimo alle Terme, Rome. Su concessione del Ministero dei beni e delle attività culturali e del turismo—Soprintendenza Speciale per il Colosseo, il Museo Nazionale Romano e l’area archeologica di Roma. Photo © Vanni Archive / Art Resource, NY Gallery view, left to right: Victorious Athlete, 300-100 B.C. (The J. Paul Getty Museum); Weary Herakles, A.D. 1-100. (Museo Archeologico Nazionale dell’Abruzzo Villa Frigerj); Seated Boxer, 300-200 B.C. (Museo Nazionale Romano—Palazzo Massimo alle Terme, Rome)

  • Head of Apollo

    Head of Apollo, 50 B.C.- A.D. 50, bronze. The Province of Salerno—Museums Sector. Archivio Fotografico del Settore Musei e Biblioteche della Provincia di Salerno - Foto Gaetano Guida

  • Head of a God or Poet

    Head of a God or Poet, 100-1 B.C., bronze. The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Museum purchase funded by Isabel B. and Wallace S. Wilson

  • Athlete

    Gallery view, left to right: Head of an Athlete, 200-1 B.C. (Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, Texas); Athlete, A.D. 1-90 (Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien, Antikensammlung); Athlete, 100-1 B.C. (Republic of Croatia, Ministry of Culture)

  • Portrait of a Poet

    Portrait of a Poet, “The Arundel Head,” 200-1 B.C., bronze and copper. Image courtesy of and © the Trustees of the British Museum

  • Apollo

    Gallery view, left to right: Apollo, 120-100 B.C. (Musée du Louvre, Département des antiquités grecques, étrusques et romaines, Paris); Apollo, 100 B.C.-A.D. 79 (Soprintendenza Speciale per i Beni Archeologici di Pompei, Ercolano e Stabia); Torso of a Youth, 200-100 B.C. (Georgian National Museum, Vani Archaeological Museum-Reserve)

  • Youth

    Youth, “The Idolino,” about 30 B.C., bronze, copper, and lead. Museo Archeologico Nazionale, Firenze (Soprintendenza per i Beni Archeologici della Toscana)

Power and Pathos: Bronze Sculpture of the Hellenistic World

July 28–November 1, 2015, Getty Center

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During the Hellenistic period from the death of Alexander the Great in 323 B.C. until the establishment of the Roman Empire in 31 B.C., the medium of bronze drove artistic innovation. Sculptors moved beyond Classical norms, supplementing traditional subjects and idealized forms with realistic renderings of physical and emotional states. Bronze—surpassing marble with its tensile strength, reflective effects, and ability to hold fine detail—was employed for dynamic compositions, dazzling displays of the nude body, and graphic expressions of age and character.

Cast from alloys of copper, tin, lead, and other elements, bronze statues were produced in the thousands: honorific portraits of rulers and citizens populated city squares, and images of gods, heroes, and mortals crowded sanctuaries. Few, however, survive. This unprecedented exhibition unites fifty significant bronzes of the Hellenistic age. New discoveries appear with works known for centuries, and several closely related statues are presented side by side for the first time.

This exhibition was organized by the J. Paul Getty Museum, the Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi in Florence, and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, with the participation of the Soprintendenza per i Beni Archeologici della Toscana. It is supported by an indemnity from the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities.

Bank of America is the National Sponsor of this touring exhibition. The Los Angeles presentation is also supported by the Getty Museum’s Villa Council, Vera R. Campbell Foundation, and the A. G. Leventis Foundation.

RELATED EVENTS

A variety of special programs complement the exhibition. All events are free, unless otherwise noted. Seating reservations are required. For reservations and information, please call (310) 440-7300 or see information on planning a visit.

TALKS
Ancient Greek Bronzes: From the Essence of Form to Hellenistic Realism

Seán Hemingway, curator of Greek and Roman art at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, examines Greek bronze sculpture from its beginnings through the Hellenistic period (323–31 B.C.). He elucidates the achievements of Greek master sculptors by looking closely at a number of outstanding examples of Greek bronze sculpture.
Wednesday, August 5, 7:00 p.m.
Getty Center: Harold M. Williams Auditorium

Ancient Bronzes as Art Objects: Roman Collectors and “Corinthian Bronzes”

Chris Hallett, professor of Roman art at UC Berkeley, explores how the collecting of ancient bronzes by wealthy Romans impacted the form and use of statuettes known as "Corinthian Bronzes."
Wednesday, September 2, 7:00 p.m.
Getty Center: Harold M. Williams Auditorium

Bronze Sculpture from the Aegean Sea: A Reassessment of Old and New Finds

Marine archaeologist George Koutsouflakis discusses some of the spectacular discoveries made by the Hellenic Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities.
Tuesday, October 13, 7:30 p.m.
Getty Center: Harold M. Williams Auditorium

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Muscle into Bronze: Athletics, Athletes, and Athletic Victor Statues in the Hellenistic Aegean

Andrew Stewart, professor of ancient Mediterranean art at UC Berkeley, traces the origins and development of Greek victor statues from the 6th century to the Hellenistic period. He introduces the settings for athletic contests and for the statues, and remarks on the Greek practice of exercising in the nude. Stewart then explains how the statues blend tradition and innovation.
Sunday, October 25, 3:00 p.m.
Getty Center: Harold M. Williams Auditorium

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SYMPOSIUM
XIX International Congress on Ancient Bronzes

Archaeologists, art historians, conservators, curators, scientists, and students convene to investigate the artistry, craftsmanship, production, conservation, and science of ancient bronzes. The Congress coincides with the exhibition Power and Pathos: Bronze Sculpture of the Hellenistic World on view at the Getty Center.
The Congress begins Tuesday, October 13 at the Getty Center and continues through Saturday, October 17.
Early bird registration fee $125 (on or before August 3)
Standard registration fee $175 (on or after August 4)
Student registration fee $75

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COURSES
Bronze Casting Workshop

Learn the art of lost-wax casting in this three-session workshop with sculptor and foundry president Sandy Decker. Explore sculpting, mold making, casting, and finishing techniques to create a small relief medallion cast in bronze. Course fee $235 (includes materials, foundry tour, and bronze casting fees). Complimentary parking at the Getty Center.
Day 1: Tuesday, August 11, 12:30–4:30 p.m. Getty Center, Museum Studios
Day 2: Tuesday, August 18, 12:30–4:30 p.m. Decker Studios Fine Arts Foundry
Day 3: Tuesday, August 25, 12:30–4:30 p.m. Decker Studios Fine Arts Foundry
Repeats Tuesdays, October 20–November 3.
Getty Center: Getty Center and Decker Studios

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Culinary Workshop: Dining in Hellenistic Greece

Discover the tastes of the ancient world in this hands-on workshop exploring the culinary and artistic accomplishments the Hellenistic Greece. Led by Maite Gomez-Rejon of Artbites, participants visit the exhibition Power and Pathos: Bronze Sculpture of the Hellenistic World, learn ancient dining customs, and prepare a class meal inspired by historical recipes and ingredients. Course fee $85. Complimentary parking.
Thursday, August 20, 10:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m.
Friday, August 21, 10:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m.
Getty Center: Private Dining Room

Handling Session: Bronze Casting

How were bronze sculptures made in antiquity? Learn how clay, wax, plaster, and bronze were utilized in lost-wax casting process in this multisensory handling session. Touch tools and materials that will deepen your knowledge of bronze casting, an art form that continues to be practiced today.
Thursdays and Fridays, August 20–November 13, 11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
Getty Villa: Reading Room

Bronze Bodies: The Art of Commemoration

For thousands of years bronze has served as a medium to dignify and dramatize the human body. Join educators Shelby Brown and Christine Spier in a close look at rare Hellenistic bronze statues of mortals, gods, and heroes, and end with an examination of Neoclassical and Baroque bronzes influenced by ancient masterpieces. Course fee $35. Complimentary parking.
Saturday, August 29, 1:00–4:00 p.m.
Getty Center: Research Institute Lecture Hall and Museum galleries

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Portrait Sculpting: Power and Pathos

Join Peter Zokosky for a daylong intensive portrait-sculpting workshop inspired by the power and beauty of Hellenistic bronze sculptures. Sculpt a half-scale portrait head from a live model. Technical guidance, methods, tools, and materials provided. Each participant will take home a sculpted head in non-drying, oil-based clay. Appropriate for all levels from beginners to experienced sculptors. Course fee $135 (includes materials and lunch). Complimentary parking.
Sunday, September 20, 10:30–5:00 p.m.
Getty Center: Museum Studios

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TOURS
Curator’s Gallery Tour

Kenneth Lapatin, associate curator of antiquities, the J. Paul Getty Museum, leads a tour of the exhibition. Meet under the stairs in the Entrance Hall.
Tuesday, August 11 and September 15, 1:30 p.m.
Thursday, October 29, 1:30 p.m.
Getty Center: Museum galleries

Curator’s Gallery Tour

Jens Daehner, associate curator of antiquities, the J. Paul Getty Museum, leads a tour of the exhibition. Meet under the stairs in the Entrance Hall.
Wednesdays, August 5, September 2, and October 7, 1:30 p.m.
Getty Center: Museum galleries

Exhibition Text & Checklist

MOBILE TOUR

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Discover the artful brawn and sinuous beauty of Greek Hellenistic bronzes. Hear experts explain how they were made and why they survived.

Pick up a multimedia player free of charge in the Museum Entrance Hall. The multimedia tour is also available for your smartphone; bring your own headphones. Join GettyLink for free Wi-Fi during your visit.

PUBLICATION

Publications are available in the Getty Museum Store, by calling (310) 440-7333, or online.

Power and Pathos: Bronze Sculpture of the Hellenistic World

Power and Pathos: Bronze Sculpture of the Hellenistic World
Edited by Jens M. Daehner and Kenneth Lapatin
(Hardcover, Paperback)

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