The Metropolitan Museum of Art. A late Roman relief and Gothic work.

Late Roman Relief and Gothic Work
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Institutional Affiliation
Late Roman Relief and Gothic Work
The Metropolitan Museum of Art is home to some of the fine pieces of art which have been collected throughout history. The two pieces of art from the museum chosen for this essay are the Marble sarcophagus with the Triumph of Dionysos and the Four Seasons, and the Diptych with the Coronation of the Virgin and the Last Judgment. The Marble sarcophagus is a stone sculpture made from Roman marble and represents a technique of carving used by Roman artisans whereas, the Diptych sculpture is made from elephant Ivory and represents gothic art.
The Marble Sarcophagus with the Triumph of Dionysos and the Four Seasons was formerly exhibited in England in the Badminton House in Gloucestershire, before being transferred to the Metropolitan Museum (Metropolitan Museum of Art, n.d.). By choosing a marble as a desired choice, the sculptor was able to create figures with rounded curves, with even and smooth lines which allowed for more details that enabled nature to come to life, and also allowed the eye of the viewer to travel continuously from one figure to another. The sarcophagus clearly portrays a relief sculpture since it projects figures from the background on which it is modeled. In this case, the sculpture is modeled from a marble stone. The common roman artistry is displayed in the method of decorating only three sides of the sculpture which include the two shorter sides and the front. The sculpture displays the god Dionysos and the four seasons alongside a number of human figures and animals who are celebrating a victory (Metropolitan Museum of Art, n.d.). Since the sarcophagus was commonly used for burial, the figures can be assumed to be celebrating the victory over death which led to eternal life. The god Dionysos is positioned in the middle of the sculpture seated on a panther while the four seasons are represented by four male figures who are larger than the god and are positioned on the left and right sides of Dionysos (Metropolitan Museum of Art, n.d.). Two other groups of large figures are also carved on the rounded ends of the sarcophagus while the god and the figures that represent the four seasons are surrounded by smaller cultic objects and Bacchic figures. Mother Earth is also carved on the left side of the sculptor and is portrayed as leaning on the ground. An older male figure is also carved on the right side of the sarcophagus and is shown as a river-god (Metropolitan Museum of Art, n.d.). The figures however are more concentrated on each other rather than looking straight ahead. The figures are sculptured in a relaxed and natural posture with their clothes draped over their shoulders and their hair is also free flowing. These representations reveal that the figures are in a celebratory mood rather than being rigid and serious which might represent fear. The marble enabled the sculpture to smoothen all rough edges, thus allowing for a seamless flow across the sculpture. The characters seem to be interconnected and interacting with each other. By inclining the faces of the figures, they seem to be aware of other figures around them rather than staring straight ahead. The physiques and youthful-looking...