Pair of Protomes Depicting the Forepart of a Griffin - Ancient Greek

Katherine K. Adler Memorial Fund

"Pair of Protomes Depicting the Forepart of a Griffin" by Ancient Greek (625-575 BCE) Bronze with bone or ivory inlay.

Commentary

"Pair of Protomes Depicting the Forepart of a Griffin" by Ancient Greek (625-575 BCE) invites a close look at how form and feeling work together. Because the work is spatial, changes in viewpoint and light can noticeably alter its emotio nal impact. Themes to notice include orientalizing, sculpture. This piece is held in the source collection's Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium collection. Ancient Greek is the artist behind this work. A useful anchor for reading the piece: Greek; probably Samos. The work is cataloged within a Sámos cultural context. It is associated with the orientalizing period. How to look at this work: It is cataloged as sculpture, which gives a clue to how the museum frames the object. Its medium (Bronze with bone or ivory inlay) affects texture, durability, and how detail reads at different distances. Its listed dimensions (1: 20.3 × 7.6 × 7.6 cm (8 × 3 × 3 in.); 2: 21.6 × 8.3 × 7 cm (8 1/2 × 3 1/4 × 2 3/4 in.)) suggest how intimate or monumental it may feel in person. Subject cues from the catalog include orientalizing, sculpture. Compare this reading with the museum record at the source collection: https://www.artic.edu/artworks/129906

Sources: Art Institute of Chicago; Art Institute of Chicago / Public Records; Art Institute of Chicago Collection Data