and many other greats.
And yet, besides all of these wonderful masterpieces, the Uffizi c
ontains also a ‘hidden’ treasure even though it is displayed openly
throughout the corridors and insi
de some rooms. This treasure can be discovered by you, through yo
ur heart and mind using just
the tools offered to you in the
next lines. The treasure is
none other than the great collection of Ancient Roman statues which have waited for us for nearly two thousand years, lovi
ng to be seen, to be admired and to give a new inspiration
to whoever
looks at them. These silent and beautiful carved blocks of stone have watched
the generations come and go while maintaining their eternal ageless beauty.
So now the purpose is to acquire some tools with which you may explore and discover anew the beauty, greatness and some secrets of these statues - and maybe not just here. Whether it is going to be your first visit to the Uffizi, or who knows how many*, whether or not you have an artistic background, among the many things to consider here are two points that you may find helpful while looking
at statues.
The original location of the statue –
Let’s start with the first one then while looking at a particular statue.
It is quite obvious that these Ancient Roman statues, the same as the p
aintings, are
not positioned now in the original place where they were m
eant to be. Therefore, while looking at these wonderful statues, we
should keep in the back of our mind that they are not in their ‘natural’ place, a place which disappeared forever. Considering that, we can start to ask ourselves what the origins of the statues were. Sometimes, thanks to the persistence and hard work of researchers, quite a high level of confidence about the provenance of one statue or another has been reached, but more often there is more unknown and uncertainty than known and certain. Let’s observe for a moment the image of this unknown woman
This portrait might have stood in the Villa of her descendants fo
r years, giving them the opportunity to remember an adored wife, loved mother then just worthy ancestor. Or else, the very impressive portrait of the E
mperor Hadrian, probably idealized, may have been displayed
in other parts of the Empire because al
most the only way the people could know how their revered Emp
eror appeared, was through this statue. Hence, as idealized as the image may have been and even if it had very little reality, the better the public relations were for the Emperor.
And mentioning Hadrian, another beautiful portrait should be mentioned, that of Antinous. This is the portrait of the unfortunate young guy, who whi
le traveling along the
Therefore, with these ideas in the back of our mind, we should start to let our imagination fly high, trying to imagine the place for which each one of these statues was destined.
White, as they are, or maybe not exactly –
And now, a second point to think about. Today, even though we admire the ancient statues as much as Renaissance citizens did, we should consider that the Ancient Romans saw them differently!!!! A
nd that, what does that mean?!? How could they have seen them in a different way??? After all, how much can stone change in two thousand years? Well, the answer is just about to arrive, but first of all, a very important factor should be considered.
From the Ancient Roman period to our time already about 1,500 years have passed. So we know that these statues also ‘saw’ the Medieval period, an age which in many ways was influenced and inspired by the Ancient World, but at the same time considered that world pagan - a world of evil and of heresy. Therefore, the Medieval World treated the Ancient World as an era that should be ignored and more than that, any testimony of it should be destroyed. With this attitude, many of the wonderful Ancient Greek and Roman statues that represented gods, nudity, or even ‘secular’ subjects, were shattered and purposefully destroyed, while others were burned and served as lime for constructions. The more ‘fortunate’ statues were covered in earth or buried under the ruins either on purpose or by chance, but thanks to that survived their long and violent journey. Many were discovered during the Renaissance period and also after, and these were both adored by collectors and viewers and inspirational to artists and entire society. Thanks to that we can still see them today.
However, after so many years underground covered with earth, or sometimes even outside but neglected like any other unnoticed stone in the fields, these statues were severely damaged. Through the wonderful work of modern restorations we see these sculptures again, cleaned and yes, some with some parts missing, but sadly … their colors have vanished too. Well, what does that mean? Can it be that the Ancient Roman statues we often actually appreciate for their whiteness, were once colored? We can answer this very simple question just with common sense.
Have you ever asked yourself why in so many ancient statues the eyes do not contain any pupils, as for example in the so called “Dying Alexander”?
Or else, why there are just empty eye-sockets? Can it be that the artists of that time did not know how to sculpt a pupil and just avoided it? Well, …. no, probably not. It is enough to look at the ‘Doryphoros’, which means ‘the lance bearer’, to understand the skills of those artists.
Even though it is a marble copy of original Ancient Greek statue which did not survive, it is easy to notice the capacity and attention that the artist gave while sculpting the veins, muscles, bones, and the perfect proportions of the human body. It is quite clear that whoever was capable of doing that would have had no difficulty in sculpting pupils.
So, how can the missing pupils and eye-sockets be explained after all? And the very simple, and maybe shocking answer is that these statues, at least the major part if not all of them, were colored and painted, and so, also, the pupils. Now just think about this and imagine how different the statues that we see today were originally. Each Ancient Roman statue which is in front of you, just try and imagine how the noble Roman man to whom it belonged, really saw the statue that we see today, and still adore.
And another point to think about. The Renaissance people admired the Ancient Roman statues and were trying to imitate them and were deeply influenced by them. Considering that, and knowing that Michelangelo was one of these Renaissance artists so that in creating his ‘David’ he too was influenced by the Ancient Roman statues and their whiteness as he saw them, well, just imagine how the famous ‘David would have looked if Michelangelo had seen the ancient statues colored….?!?
So, here as elsewhere, while wandering around in this sea of statues looking at each particular and interesting work, being aware of the riddle of original location and missing color, try to look not just at, but also inside. Then, to these two points, add and use the most two crucial things which are already inside you – your heart and your mind. With all of these together, you may just have the opportunity to experience new concepts as they fit comfortably within you and your precious inner world.
Wishing you a wonderful, enriching and exciting visit - first of all, within yourself!
Lior – www.florenceasyouwish.com
*Demand for entry to the
