Thursday, July 29, 2010 B
"I Have Only Seen a Tiny Bit! (Part Two)"
12:30pm

Owing to photo size hugeness, this entry began on an earlier page...

Two Roman era Egyptian mummy masks were at the entrance to the Greco-Roman items:


Mummy Head Cover, Roman Period, 1st century BCE
Cartonnage, gold leaf, pigment
46 x 33.3 x 28 cm (18 1/8 x 13 1/8 x 11 in.)
William M. Willner Fund, 1910.221

Mummy Head Cover, Roman Period, 1st century BCE
Cartonnage, gold leaf, pigment
46 x 30.5 x 26.7 cm (18 1/8 x 12 x 10 1/2 in.)
William M. Willner Fund, 1910.220

Even though the Art Institute's Egyptian collection is small, they do have some lovely pieces. The Greco Roman collection is a bit larger.


Head of a Bearded Man, Cypriot, 5th century BCE
Limestone, 29.2 x 20.3 x 26 cm (11 1/2 x 8 x 10 1/4 in.)
Robert A. Waller Fund Purchase, 1926.437


Greek, Apulia, Italy
Attributed to The Varrese Painter, fl. c. 365 BCE
Loutrophoros (Funerary Vessel), c. 365 BCE
Terracotta, red-figure technique
88 x 37.5 x 29.5 cm (34 3/4 x 14 3/4 x 11 5/8 in.)
Katherine K. Adler Memorial Fund, 1984.9

(From info card)
"Loutrophoroi were water vessels used in a bride's ritual bath.
They were also used as funerary offerings for unwed maidens and youths.
The size and subject of this vessel indicate it was used for funerary purposes.
It is pierced through the bottom to allow offerings to be poured
directly into the grave."


Portrait Bust of a Woman,
Roman, Antonine Period, CE 140/50
Marble, 62 x 47.6 x 27 cm (24 13/16 x 18 3/4 x 10 5/8 in.)

(From Info Card)
"the name of the subject of this stunning portrait is not known, but her elaborate coiffure emulates an imperial fashion trend set by Empress Faustina the Elder, wife of Antoninus Pius, and her daughter Faustina the Younger... and suggests that she lived during their lifetimes. Her hairstyle, together with her bejeweled diadem and richly textured clothing, also indicates that she held a prominent position in Roman society. It is likely that she was a priestess in the imperial cult, a state-sponsored religion that perpetuated the memory of dead and deified members of the ruling family through special rituals and acts of civic benefaction."

My lower back soon started to hurt and I looked for the first chair, happily placed before a collection of coins. One featured a medusa with extended tongue, very similar except for size to the one at the Getty museum. Others featured a sphinx and a griffin. But only my medusa photo turned out clearly.

After resting, I found myself thirsty, so sought out the garden café. A pizza with feta cheese, spinach and bell peppers along with a little fruit salad took care of my hunger, and a bottle of cold tea quenched my thirst.

Now, I will head to the Impressionists. One thing I do remember from my visit to Chicago's Art Institute thirty years ago was how huge 'Sunday Afternoon on the Grande Jatte' is. Then after a search for Calders, I'll probably be ready to collapse.

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