The Relief with Achilles, Thetis, and Worshippers from the J. Paul Getty Museum in Malibu dates back to about 350 B.C. It belongs to the workmanship of a Greek master of the art, and it is a typical representation of the Greek art of that period. The piece of art under consideration is very traditional in its accomplishment: the medium of this relief is usual for Greek sculptures, and it is marble, and the theme of mythology and mythological heroes is also a remarkable feature of the Greek art of that period. In the following paper, the Relief with Achilles, Thetis, and Worshippers will be addressed in terms of its historical significance.
The Relief with Achilles, Thetis, and Worshippers is dedicated to glorying the ancient mythological heroes of Greece, which is the peculiar feature of the Greek art of those days. According to the information from the museum, the subject matter of this relief is in the following:
The Greek hero Achilles, identifiable by his shield and helmet, rides with his mother Thetis in a chariot on this fragmentary relief. The chariot slowly converges on a procession of worshippers, who are dressed as travelers, wearing cloaks and wide-brimmed hats. Only seven of these waiting men remain on the broken relief, but originally there must have been about ten (“Relief with Achilles” par. 2).
The relief can be identified as secular work. Works of this kind are traditional adornments for ancient Greek buildings including palaces, public buildings for governing institutions, and even private houses, belonging to rich people. Similar objects were studied during the course as typical objects of ancient Greek art. The relief under consideration is analogous to the objects, studied in class, in the most complete meaning of this word. This can be proved by its medium, size, and thematic contents (Kleiner 126).
The formal elements of this relief are skillfully used by its master to render its subject matter, which is evident in the depiction of space, motion, and narrative techniques. The scene, shown by the artist, comes before the viewer as if it is a real-life scene, seen during the current moment of time. As an observer examines the subject plot of this relief, one’s mind tends to depict a picture from an ancient Greek myth about Achilles. This effect is achieved due to the master’s skill to properly use the formal elements in the piece of art. This is a skill, peculiar to ancient Greek masters of the art.
As a late-twentieth-century viewer, I am really impressed by this relief as it presents a high level of skills of ancient Greek masters, and features an excellent approach to depicting real human body proportions. I believe that Greek masters of the art of those days may well compete with modern sculptors in the skill of being both precise and still elegant in showing beautiful proportions of a human body and doing so when it is in motion. The composition of the Relief with Achilles, Thetis, and Worshippers is more than pleasing for me because of its style, classiness, and complexity. Moreover, this piece of art is really remarkable on the reason of the master’s proficiency and his persuasive rendering of the subject. Such detail of the master’s work as the ability to show a group of humans in motion and dynamic interaction is above all praise.
The medium of this relief is marble, which is a usual medium for works of art of this kind. The significance of this medium for the interpretation of the work is in the fact that marble was traditionally used by prosperous Greeks to decorate their premises and their city streets. Thus, the piece of art under consideration is a conventional object in ancient Greece, aiming to solve common secular tasks such as infrastructure development and decoration. The format of the work is quite impressive – its dimensions are “30 3/4 x 52 x 3” inches (“Relief with Achilles” par. 1). However, such a format is absolutely appropriate as this relief is used as a frontispiece of buildings, and in ancient Greece, buildings were of significant size and of notable spaciousness.
The iconography of this relief and its format offers a number of ideas regarding the original location of this piece of art. First of all, it should be a developed metropolis in ancient Greece. Secondly, this metropolis should be also a cultural center, and not only a place, where prosperous people live. The description of this relief from the J. Paul Getty Museum in Malibu shows that such suppositions are not mistaken as the original location of the object is Thessaly, where rich and educated Greeks lived. Moreover, Thessaly is believed to be the place, where Achilles was born. Thus, it is no wonder that people, inhabiting those lands, depicted their outstanding heroes.
The iconography and the intended location also reveal a lot about the works’ probable function. Above, in the paper, there were suppositions regarding them as well, and the conclusion is strongly suggested that the Relief with Achilles, Thetis, and Worshippers was used as a part of an architectural building with the aim of decoration. In addition, the subject matter of the relief suggests that it was also purposed to help ancient Greeks remember their rich cultural background and the inspiring examples of dauntless and heart-whole heroes. Thus, it is evident that the work was intended for public consumption, and all the people inhabiting Ancient Greece were the relief’s intended audience.
Interpreting the meaning that this piece of art once had for its original intended audience, I would say that it was in inspiring the people of the land by democratic and patriotic ideas; in encouraging them to be proud of their Motherland and its honorable sons; and even in a sort of political propaganda of spreading the ideas of Greek excellence in the world. The last point appears to be of the most important significance as, during the period of creation of this relief, Greece was the world power, and it continued to engage in wars of a mind-blowing scale. It is believed that King Philip was replaced by Alexander the Great in 350 B.C. This is the date of the creation of this relief. Thus, the most meaningful pictures from Greek history come to mind when watching the Relief with Achilles, Thetis, and Worshippers. In particular, Alexander’s obsession with Achilles and his bravery and mightiness led this young and extremely talented military leader not only to Gaugamela but to the extremities of inhabited (during those days) Erath.
In conclusion, the Relief with Achilles, Thetis, and Worshippers is a typical work of ancient Greek art, which is seen in its subject matter, the manner of its accomplishment, its medium, and the interplay between its formal parts. Its iconography is directly connected with its original location and its intended function.
References
Kleiner, Fred. Gardner’s Art Through the Ages: A Global History, The United States: Wadsworth Publishing, 2012. Print.
Relief with Achilles, Thetis, and Worshippers. (n. d.). Web. 2012.