Can You Dig It?
Our loyal reader Verbal Remedy asked just what exactly people like us do all day. Our parents would like to know the same thing. If you have a specific art question or favorite piece you’d like us to talk about, please let us know. We will answer them here in our blog. [Small plug: If you live near New York City, you can check us out in person at one of our tours. See www.artmasterstours.com for a schedule.]
I think that as Art Historians we are likely perceived as occupying the penthouse of the academic ivory tower, but there are many of us who are seriously down to earth (and in some cases, below sea level)!
What do we DO every day? Sit in libraries and research mostly. Go to class, write papers…it’s like college on steroids, and admittedly boring. Trawling around in the basement of a museum is novel; seeing things we are accustomed to seeing on pedestals and behind glass plunked unceremoniously on dark, dusty shelves. The sort of work you’re doing will dictate how long it will take for the novelty to wear off. It’s been my experience that it dissipates rather quickly.
I am not a museum person. That isn’t to say that I don’t LOVE museums and spend every spare moment I can in one. I do. But I didn’t go to graduate school so that I could work in a museum. I’m more of a “field” art historian than a “desk” variety. I went to school to be an archaeologist and a teacher. If you think it would be a thrill to see a sculpture in a basement, imagine seeing it half in the ground, right where it fell; knowing that yours are the first eyes to see it in a thousand years!
As for my favorite pieces, there are…millions! I’ll elaborate on specific, famous ones later (I’m am seriously hot for Roman portrait sculpture and wall-painting though). The one nearest and dearest to my heart however is a humble piece of architectural sculpture from a 1st century CE arcade in Aphrodisias, Turkey. I found it.
Aphro (as we call it) was one of the most important cities in the Roman east in that period for several reasons, chief among them: its spectacular white marble. While most cities in the region were built of stone, Aphro is built of marble. A booming trade grew up around the resource, including a workshop of sculptors respected the (Roman) world over. In a culture that did not afford any status to artist, Aphrodisian sculptors proudly signed their distinctive, baroque work and proclaimed their provenance. One such piece famously adorned the Villa of Hadrian at Tivoli…they were THAT good!
Map of the Site of Aphrodisias, Turkey
It follows that the city itself was highly decorated with sculptural adornments. One such flourish was the sculpted pilaster capitals, which adorned the arcade along the main civic avenue (Main St., Aphrodisias). The street was excavated in front of the sanctuary of Aphrodite in the 80s, and some twenty of these capitals were discovered and are now on display in the on-site museum. Almost all of them show bucolic scenes of erotes (aka puti or cupids), which is in keeping with the symbolism of the city’s patron deity, Aphrodite.
Eros capitol excavated in 1980 from in front of the Precinct of Aphrodite, Aphrodisias, Turkey. Photo: Author
When we began excavation of the area to the south of the sanctuary this summer, we expected to find more. Excavation was slow due to heavy Ottoman and Byzantine occupation in the area, but in the final weeks I managed to reach Roman levels, and indeed, discovered one such capitol. The photos show the slow process of excavation, it took over 5 hours to extract the artifact using wooden skewers and dental tools (lest we scratch or otherwise mar the piece).
The “Goat Grabber” commeth! As he first appeared in the ground. Photo: Author
The little face which at first presented itself, we thought, was surley an erote, but excavation and conservation proved us dead wrong! This figure is as far from divine as an artist could attempt to make him. His knobby knees, boots, bowl cut hair and tunic proclaim him unmistakably as a peasant. And what, exactly, is he doing to that goat?!?!
Further excavated. Photo: Author
Me, workin’ it! Photo: I. Lockey
At first I though, milking, but there’s no bucket. That’s when we dubbed him the “Aphrodisian goat grabber!” I shared photos with my family as well as our quandary.
During conservation, he’s still really dirty, but you get the idea. Photo: Author
My aunt, an accomplished and very proper rider of horses wrote me back:
“Evidently, you are without anyone around with “vet” experience; about the only reason your fellow would have his hand inside the goat would be checking for a baby, delivering said baby or pushing back a prolapsed uterus; don’t think there are any “jollies” involved with a goat hand job, for either party involved!”
I’ve since developed a theory; the bucolic scenes of erotes from outside the sacred precinct all carry a theme of spring, as does our peasant-farmer. Birthing of animals takes place in the spring, and the area 50 meters to the south of the sanctuary is adorned with a secular representation of the season. Only time will tell if I am correct, years of excavation may bring to light other seasons or ever-more secular representations along the 300 or more yards of avenue yet to be excavated.
God I love archaeology!
Leslie
