Ode to Competition

Dozens of 6tth century vases live at the Metropolitan Museum Greek & Roman Wing. Your early steps reveal Athenian pride; images of athletes and musicians are introduced as icons of the Athenian culture. The main hallway holds the largest vases in terms of mass but for artistic content they are lacking depth. Javoline, diskus and wrestling athletes are frozen in their respectable stances the same can be said for musicians. Unique instruments are intriguing but the basic imagery does not seam to represent the aspect of competition Athenians valued (as per the museum descriptions).

The opportunity for ekphrais (as we know from class is a poem inspired by work of art) is evident once a turn to the rooms on the right is made. This is where Keats would be comfortable; hundreds of unique objects each offering negative capability, especially the object in this picture.

This jug contains a moment of intimidation. The musician (some of this is from an analysis from the Met Museum app, as item #830) he is about to play his instrument and sing out lyric, he floats alone in appropriate symmetry.  The robe has movement as well as details in face and anatomy. His hand is also in an action stage or at least it’s certainly not at ease. Juxtaposed, the opposing side has a Judge with similar body mass and position balance. Competition was highly valued in Athenian culture (as we learned in the hallway) this vase holds emotion from the competitors point of view in a completion. Judgment here has a powerful influence on the emotion.

Young man singing and playing the kithara

Rear Side Judgement

Chris Hennessy