The Hope Dionysos, displayed in the Metropolitan Museum of Arts Greek and Roman Art gallery, depicts Dionysos standing and leaning with one arm on a smaller female figure that is believed to Spes, the personification of hope. He is shown without his usual attributes of a drinking cup or a pinecone-topped staff, and both the hand at his side and the hand resting on Spes and reaching out towards the viewer are empty. Spes, however, holds what appears to be a lotus flower in her hand. This image, with the personification of hope, could have been an allegorical representation of the joyful side of Dionysos dual nature. Its also possible that this was meant as a historical representation of celebration of peace, and that the combination of Dionysos as the god of celebration and Spes as the representation of peace were meant to signify joyfulness at the end of a war.
The piece has been sculpted from marble to have a smooth finish, and even the intricate details of the folds in Dionysos cloak and chiton are smoothly sculpted into soft, careful folds of fabric. Spes holds the folds of her chiton in one hand and the fabric is again smoothly sculpted. No part of the sculpture has been left rough, giving the piece an overall smooth, finished, polished effect. No extra color or gilding has been added and the marble is a uniform color, giving it a natural, human feel. The sculpture was sculpted in the late first century AD, but restored in the eighteenth century by Vincenzo Pacetti. The most obvious evidence of the restoration efforts can be seen in the base that Spes is standing on. The base is a slightly rougher, obviously different texture than the rest of the piece. The base is much sharper and more angular than the rest of the details, making the sharply defined corners of the base stand in contrast to the soft folds of the cloak of the figure standing on it.
There are many archaistic details in this sculpture that aid in the overall feel of the piece. The presence of Spes herself is an archaistic detail, as are many of her physical characteristics. Her hair is tightly curled in a series of rows across her forehead, a style frequently seen in archaistic art. There are also heavy pleats and folds in the front of her chiton and much attention given to creating smoothing detail on the front of Dionysos garment, another archaistic detail meant to focus the eye on the center of the sculpture. This is perhaps why the upraised hand of Spes is placed at about the same level as the midsection of Dionysos, so that the viewer would see the flower in her hand.
The size difference between the two figures serves to convey a sense of naturalism to the sculpture also, with Spes female figure obviously smaller and dressed in more feminine apparel than Dionysos, yet still offering him support. Dionysos towers over Spes, indicating masculinity and possibly an older age. The scale of the sculpture, however, is larger than lifelike which detracts from the naturalistic feel of the two figures. The sculpture stands almost seven feet, with the figure of Dionysos filling all of that space. Spes is obviously smaller, but has been given a base that makes her seem almost as tall.
The poses of the two figures suggest a knowing relationship to one another. There is fluidity to the figure of Dionysos, as evidenced in the one arm hanging naturally to the side and the relaxed shoulders. Spes is archaistically stiff and straight, staring straight ahead instead of making eye contact with Dionysos or looking at the object shes holding in her hand. Though their postures are different the two figures support each other, suggesting a caring relationship and making them allies. The figures can be viewed from all angles, but the sculpture is ideally meant to be viewed from the front with the viewer standing still. There is as much attention given to the folds in the clothing and standing postures of the figures in the back of the sculpture as in the front, indicating that while it was probably meant to be viewed from the front, it is accessible from all angles. While the sculpture is a solitary piece instead of a larger faade it was likely that it was intended for public viewing.
The Triumph of Dionysos and the Seasons Sarcophagus is also displayed in the METs Greek and Roman Art Gallery. It was also sculpted out of marble, but it was sculpted around 260. The choice of marble as medium once again allowed the sculptor to create smooth, even lines and rounded curves, allowing for the eye to travel seamlessly from one figure to the next and for all the details meant to represent nature to come to life. The smoothness of the marble works in a similar way to affect the focal point of the viewer with The Hope Dionysos. The sarcophagus depicts the god Dionysos and the four seasons, along with almost forty other animal and human figures, celebrating a victory. Given that this piece is a sarcophagus intended for use in burial it is logical to assume that the characters are celebrating a triumph over death and celebrating eternal life. Conversely, the celebration could also be interpreted as a celebration of life, with Dionysos representing everyday joy and revelry and the seasons representing a sort of triumph over the passage of time. As a sarcophagus like this one would have been very expensive, this sarcophagus represents wealth and prestige. Many sculptors of funerary art sculpted prearranged scenes, so the presence of the seasons and Dionysos doesnt mean that the person being interred had any deep connection with any of them. Either way, this piece serves a much more practical purpose than The Hope Dionysos. The sarcophagus would have been used in funeral services and to lay a deceased person to rest. There was no major restoration done on the sarcophagus, though its lid is missing. This lack of need for repair could be due to the fact that the figures are sculpted deeply into the marble, leaving fewer pieces extended outward to be broken.
The choice of marble works well on the sarcophagus to help create a continuous scene all the way around the piece. All rough edges have been smoothed and the scene flows seamlessly around, the characters all interacting with multiple others around them. Dionysos can be at the center seated on a large cat holding his traditional staff topped with a pinecone. His other hand appears to be passing something else, maybe a flask of wine, to another figure to his left. Larger than Dionysos and flanking him on his left and right are four figures meant to represent the seasons of Spring, Summer, Winter and Fall. These characters are unusual representations for two reasons. First, the seasons were traditionally represented by female figures, while these are clearly male. Second, Dionysos is usually depicted being accompanied by female revellers, and the majority of the figures in this entire piece appear to be male. There is also no evidence of archaistic detail here. The hair is loose and free-flowing, clothing is draped over the shoulders instead of being smoothed over the midsection, and the postures of all the figures are all natural and relaxed instead of rigid and staring straight ahead.
The scale of the sarcophagus is only 34 inches high, making it relatively small in comparison to The Hope Dionysos. While it would have been long and wide enough to house a body for burial, it stands low to the ground in relation to the statue that stood almost seven feet tall. This makes the figures winding around the sarcophagus obviously under life size, but they stand in realistic proportion to one another. The scene feels realistic because all the figures are similar in size. The seasons are taller than Dionysos, and appear younger and more jubilant. This larger stature could be to represent them as forces of nature. Dionysos natural, relaxed stature is similar to that in The Hope Dionysos even though he is much more animated here. Around them are more figures of humans and animals, all smaller than the figures of the seasons but in relatively natural proportion to Dionysos. Age and gender is conveyed here in the youthful-looking hair and physiques of the seasons and Dionysos. Elsewhere in the scene older men are identified by long, heavy beards and heavy-lidded eyes. There are young boys or angels at the feel of the animal Dionysos is riding and at other locations in the scene. They are smaller and often kneel at the feet of the larger figures, signifying youth. Some elements are not entirely realistic on the sarcophagus, like the giant snake that winds around the side or the panther in the front. Other human figures convey realistic poses and expressions and are much more natural.
Overall, the majority of the figures are standing and facing one another instead of facing outward towards the viewer. Unlike The Hope Dionysos in which both figures faced and reached towards the viewer, in this scene the figures appear more concerned with celebrating with one another than looking forward at the viewer. The figures of the characters around the sides of the sarcophagus have turned heads and torsos, indicating that they are moving towards the front and center of the scene where Dionysos and the seasons figures are present. Many of the figures around the sides bear fruit and baskets in their hands, making it appear that they have come to give offerings to Dionysos in his celebration. The poses are all fluid and natural. The use of marble as a medium allowed the sculptor to create a great deal of light and shade with high relief. The Hope Dionysos does not contain this element of high relief, making it realistic but without so much light and shade present.
The viewpoint of this sarcophagus is markedly different than the previous sculpture. While The Hope Dionysos could be walked around and viewed from other angles, there was not as much detail given to the back and sides as to the front. The Triumph of Dionysus and the Seasons Sarcophagus is meant to be viewed from all sides and the detail from any angle is equally richly illustrated. The characters all interact with one another and with the animals around them, even at the rounded corners of the chamber. This continuous scene effectively implies movement and life and encourages the viewer to walk around it and view the full scene. This is an indication that the funeral services it was created for would be an active one, with patrons walking around the sarcophagus while paying their respects. This continuous image functioning as an invitation for movement in the room could also mean that the sarcophagus was intended for public viewing. This sarcophagus would have been meant to stand alone instead of being part of a larger installation. It is meant to be viewed from every angle, and while its function as a sarcophagus required that it adhere to certain dimensions, the artist worked within these dimensions and functional requirements to create a moving work of art.
The Hope Dionysos and The Triumph of Dionysos and the Seasons Sarcophagus have striking differences and similarities. The representation of Dionysos himself is perhaps one of the most evident differences. In the sculpture Dionysos appears as an older man, fully clothed, standing still and leaning on another figure for support. In the scene on the sarcophagus, however, he is young, jubilant, and actively relating to the multitude of other figures surrounding him. He is standing still in the sculpture and seems to evoke an almost sombre air of peacefulness, while in the sarcophagus scene he is happy, free, and all the other figures in the scene seem to be clamouring to get to him. The interaction of the figures is another striking difference between two. In the sculpture Dionysos leans on Spes for support, but does not look at her or interact with her. In the sarcophagus scene he is looking to his side at all the revellers accompanying him and interacting with them all. The two pieces represent two very different sides of Dionysos, which is perhaps fitting because of the dual nature he traditionally represented.
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