Essay on "Lion Statues Outside of the Corcoran Gallery"
Essay 3 pages (1143 words) Sources: 3
[EXCERPT] . . . .
lion statues outside of the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington DC and Chimera of ArezzoOutside of the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington DC, two large lions flank the exterior of the main entrance. Lions are synonymous with ferocity. A common phrase is "as fierce as a lion" Because of this alleged fierceness, lions are traditionally guardian figures in architecture and art in Western culture. Lion statues also flank the New York Public Library, and a lion, with a unicorn, is on the 'seal' of Great Britain. These symbolic resonances may be one of the reasons that the lions were chosen to adorn the art museum.
However, it is striking that the lions are not particularly frightening-looking as they sit in front of the Gallery. The animals are identical in shape and size. They each sit on two slabs of metal and have a kind of languid appearance. Although they are bronze, they are black in color, which gives them a kind of static quality. Their mouths are slightly open as if in a yawn. Their legs are tucked beneath their languid, floppy bodies. The lions do not look as if they are waiting to spring into action as true guardian figures.
The most notable physical aspect of the lions is their swirling manes, which have a textured, relief-like quality. The manes are full and lush, and their fullness and softness adds to the relatively non-threatening quality of the lions. The eyes of the lions are slightly closed, as if they are dozing while on guard. The main hint of the danger an adult lion might pose is the lion's large (almost disproportionately so) paw that hangs off the block. This suggests the creature's potential fierceness, even though the limp wr
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The eyes are not entirely closed and depending on where the gazer stands, the lion can seem slightly more likely to be roused or not. Standing and looking at the lion eye-to-eye suggests a more alert creature, although his expression is not unfriendly. The effect of the lions is that the art gallery is guarded and watched by them, but they are not unhappy that the legitimate visitors are entering and exiting the museum. Many visitors take pictures of themselves with the friendly lions. According to the brochure provided by the National Parks Service, these lions date back to the 19th century, and while originally placed facing the street, now face one another (which further adds to their non-threatening nature, as they do not appear to be gazing at people who enter the structure, as if trying to prevent their entrance). The lions originally had a religious resonance: "The lions are copies from the originals by Antonio Canova, which adorn the cenotaph of Pope Clement XIII in Rome" ("The Corcoran Gallery of Art," NPS, 2011). The lion is a traditional symbol of Christ and were originally supposed to be flanked by other statues symbolic of knowledge and the flowering of peace at the museum.
In stark contrast to the relatively friendly visages of the lions is the Chimera of Arezzo of the Etruscan art period (480-350 BCE). Chimeras are lion-like monsters from Greek mythology that have lion's and goat's heads, lion's bodies and a snake's tails. The Chimera is a relatively small bronze statue, and its spine is… READ MORE
Quoted Instructions for "Lion Statues Outside of the Corcoran Gallery" Assignment:
“Each student will write a 2-3 page paper on one original work of art in the greater Washington, D.C. area (or your local city). This can be any kind of object created in any period; the only requirement is that it be something that you can view carefully yourself. You may not write on something that you have not seen personally during the course of the semester.
This is not a research paper. Your observations should be illuminated by the lectures, assignments and readings. It is important to choose something that you can discuss without doing further research (unless you would like to do outside research - you are welcome to do so ***** on the internet, books, etc). If you do use outside sources, they must be properly credited. Please use MLA format.
A typical paper will spend the first page (or less) describing the art work in detail using terms learned in class (ie. sculpture in the round, complementary colors, iconography, etc.) and possibly providing some background about the artist (but not required).
The rest of the paper should be spent comparing/contrasting the object to a work that we discussed in class (or that is in the textbook) ***** talking about how the works are similar and/or different. If you decide to do outside research you may want to talk about the work*****s significance ***** how it may be a political statement or an shows an innovative style, for example.
**I would like my paper to be about the lion statues outside of The Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington DC (which I saw) and the Chimera of Arezzo. According to the book, the Chimera of Arezzo is Etruscan art from the Classical Art (480-350 BCE). The only term that I could find from the book pertaining to this piece of art of chimera which is a monster invited by the Greeks that has a lion*****s head and body and a snake*****s tail.**
If you have any questions, feel free to email me. Thank you so much in advanced:)
How to Reference "Lion Statues Outside of the Corcoran Gallery" Essay in a Bibliography
“Lion Statues Outside of the Corcoran Gallery.” A1-TermPaper.com, 2011, https://www.a1-termpaper.com/topics/essay/lion-statues-outside/9437173. Accessed 5 Oct 2024.
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