Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Other Loot

Etching (proof)
Fame
Italian
c.1649

Etching
Death of Leonardo
Italian
c.1780

Continuing to exploit the Met inventory (where I chanced to turn up all those mesmerizing Roman artifacts yesterday) attention now turns to a group of accessions from miscellaneous European cultures and periods, acquired by the Museum over the past century or so. As before, only the sketchiest of texts were found in company with images of very high quality.

That angel at top descends from many centuries of progressively refined Italian angels. Animated by supernatural momentum it floats free of earth, yet remains at the same time obedient to laws of earthly physics. If one figure were wanted to demonstrate the essential paradox of the baroque, this one would do the job.

Ink & wash
Design for ornamentation, rear axle of a carriage
Italian
17th century

Embroidered cabinet
English
c.1670

Giltwood sofa
 French
c.1760

Photograph
Parthenon colonnade
French
c.1870

Photograph
Bridge of Augustine
French
19th century

Photograph
Helen Wills (tennis champion)
American
1929

Photograph
Brigitta Wens by Alfred Stieglitz
American
1900

Amulet
Limestone Foot with suspension hole
Egyptian

Implement to loosen knots
Jade
China

Pat of dried mud (with thumbprints)
Fragment of material formerly sealing the sarcophagus of Tutankhamun
Egyptian
1329 B.C., excavated 1909

This modest group of artifacts also happens to represent post number 3,000 on the rolling screen called Spencer Alley, in continuous (not to say obsessive) daily operation since 2008.