Vase (Borghese)
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| Artist | Giacomo inscribed G. Zoffoli F. (b.1731, d.1784) |
|---|---|
| Title | Vase (Borghese) |
| Description | This Kylix vase is modelled after one of the most famous classical Athenian vases from the second half of the 1st century AD: namely the Borghese Vase. In 1807 Napoleon Bonaparte purchased it from the family and by 1811 it was on display in the Musée Napoléon, now the Louvre. The vase has a deep frieze with bas-reliefs and an averted gadrooned lip over a gadrooned lower section; it stands on a spreading fluted stem with a cabled motif round its base, on a low octagonal plinth. The frieze possibly depicts the thiasus, an ecstatic Bacchanalian procession accompanying Dionysus, draped with the panther skin and playing the aulos, and Ariadne. Satyrs and maenads dance to music, joining Dionysus and Ariadne, who preside over the revels. One satyr collapses, drunk, and is supported by a young companion, a reminder of the excesses that were often a feature of the revels. Dionysus is portrayed half-naked, crowned with ivy and vine; he holds his thyrsus, a staff decorated with a pine cone. Beside him, his wife Ariadne plays a lyre. This scene on the vase might correspond to the saying "The Gods look after children and drunken men" which has been passed down orally through many generations. (as a pair with EU 650) This pair of vases is modeled after two of the most famous classical Athenian vases from the second half of the 1st century AD: namely the Borghese Vase and the Medici Vase. From their rediscovery in the mid 17th century, these classical vases were the most admired of antique marble vases and sometimes ascribed to Phidias (5th century BC), the legendary Greek sculptor. The two vases were often compared and copies of them were arranged as companions. Ironically they are not a pair. The Borghese vase is 1.7m tall and the Medici is 1.52m. The Borghese vase does not bear any handles, has a gadrooned lower half and a cabled motif to the base of the stem and finally an octagonal plinth. The original Medici vase does have handles, acanthus leaf carving to the base and stands on a square plinth. However the subject matter could be seen as an interesting juxtaposition: the Borghese vase depicts bacchanalian figures in a festive celebration while the Medici vase, by contrast, is believed to show more somber martial figures. Individually or in pairs these two vases inspired the artists catering for the grand tourists. Versions of the vases can be seen in differing scales and media and are often illustrated in paintings and watercolours from the 18th and 19th centuries. |
| Material | bronze (metal)/copper alloy/nonferrous metal/metal/inorganic material/materials (substances) |
| Dimensions | height: 34.2 cm |
| Type | Sculpture |
| Place Made | Europe ; Italy ; Rome ; Southern Europe |
| Subject | mythological scene |
| Collection | Art Collection ; Torrie Collection |
| Signature | signature inscribed |
| Accession Number | EU0652 |