Artemis and the Stag

Artemis and the Stag

On display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Artist Not known
Year 1st century BC – 1st century AD
Type Bronze
Dimensions 123.8 cm (48 3/4 in)
Owner Anonymous bidder

Artemis and the Stag is an early Roman Imperial or Hellenistic bronze sculpture of the ancient Greek goddess Artemis. In June 2007 the Albright-Knox Art Gallery placed the statue into auction; it fetched $28.6 million, the highest sale price of any sculpture at the time.

Description

The statue depicts Artemis, the Greek goddess of hunting and wild animals amongst other things. She stands on a simple plinth in a pose that suggests she has just released an arrow from her bow. At some point in its history, the bow was separated from the sculpture and was lost. The goddess's hair is wavy and parted, gathered at the back in a chignon. She wears a short chiton that folds at the waist and billows outwards and is partly covered by a himation. On her feet are laced sandals, and a stag stands alongside her. It is thought that the original sculpture may have included a jumping dog to the right of the goddess.[1]

Artemis stands at 36 1/4 inches atop a base of 12 1/2 inches. The stag is 16 3/4 inches.[1] The sculpture is made of bronze and is believed to have been made some time between the 1st century BC and the 1st century AD.[1] It was originally excavated in the 1920s from a Roman construction site and has since changed hands several times before finding a home at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery in Buffalo, New York.[2][3]

The sculpture has been described as "one of the most beautiful works of art surviving from the classical era".[2][4] It is highly regarded for its excellent state of preservation, despite the missing bow, and the its fine detail particularly in the face of Artemis.[5]

Deaccessioning from the Albright-Knox Gallery

In November 2006, the Albright-Knox Gallery announced its intention to deaccession Artemis and the Stag from its collection. The statue was much-beloved by the public and had been part of the permanent collection since 1953. Director Louis Grachos defined the ancient sculpture as falling outside the institution's historical "core mission" of "acquiring and exhibiting art of the present."[6] The decision to deaccession was made by a vote of the museum's Board of Directors, was voted on and ratified by the entire membership, and followed the guidelines of the American Alliance of Museums.[7] The sale raised questions about how museums can remain vital when they are situated in economically declining regions and have limited means for raising funds for operations and acquisitions.[8]

Auction

The sculpture was auctioned at Sotheby's New York by Hugh Hildesley on 7 June 2007.[4] Estimated to reach between $5 and $7 million, Artemis and the Stag broke records when it was sold for $28.6 million. It became the most valuable sculpture ever sold at auction, breaking the 2005 record of $27.4 million for Constantin Brâncuși's Bird in Space.[2] The sale price has since been surpassed by several modern works, but the only other sculpture from antiquity to fetch a higher price is the Guennol Lioness.[9] The winning bidder remained anonymous, employing art dealer Giuseppe Eskenazi to complete the auction.[2]

In January 2008 the sculpture was lent to the Metropolitan Museum of Art for six months.[10]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Egyptian, Classical, and Western Asiatic Antiquities, including Property of the Albright-Knox Art Gallery. Sotheby's New York. 7 June 2007. Accessed 20 October 2011.
  2. 1 2 3 4 West, Nina P. Artemis At The Top. Artfact.com, Forbes. 19 June 2007. Accessed 20 October 2011.
  3. ↑ Most Expensive Antiquity. Time. Accessed 20 October 2011.
  4. 1 2 Sotheby's sets a new world record for sculpture at auction. 7 June 2007. Accessed 20 October 2011.
  5. ↑ Bronze Sculpture of Artemis and the Stag brings $28.6M at Sotheby's. Culture Kiosque. 8 June 2007. Accessed 20 October 2011.
  6. ↑ Lee Rosenbaum, "Mission Creep: Albright-Knox Belatedly Releases Its Complete Deaccession List" Arts Journal
  7. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2010-02-01. Retrieved 2010-03-02.
  8. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2008-11-23. Retrieved 2010-03-02.
  9. ↑ Gleadell, Colin. Market news: Sculpture sells for record amount. The Telegraph. 11 December 2007. Accessed 20 October 2011.
  10. ↑ Artemis and Stag at Met Museum. The New York Times. 10 January 2008. Accessed 20 October 2011.
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