Everything about The Glyptothek totally explained
The
Glyptothek is a museum in
Munich,
Germany, which was commissioned by the
Bavarian King Ludwig I to house his collection of
Greek and
Roman sculptures (hence Glypto-, from the Greek root
glyphein, to carve). It was designed by
Leo von Klenze in the Neoclassical style, and built from 1816 to 1830. Today the museum is a part of the
Kunstareal.
History
The Glyptothek was commissioned by the Crown Prince(later King)
Ludwig I of Bavaria alongside other projects, such as the neighboring
Königsplatz and the building which houses the
State Collection of Greek and Roman Antiquities, as a monument to ancient Greece. He envisioned a "German Athens", in which the ancient Greek culture would be remembered; he'd this built in front of the gates of Munich.
The layout of the Königsplatz complex was designed by the architects
Karl von Fischer and
Leo von Klenze in 1815, the latter arranged it in the style of a forum, with the Glyptothek on the north side. Colorful frescoes and stuccos made by distinguished artists such as
Peter von Cornelius and
Wilhelm von Kaulbach adorned the walls of the museum.
In the few years between
1806 and the opening of the museum in
1830, Ludwig completed one of the most magnificent collections of Greek and Roman sculpture. Through his agents, he managed to acquire such pieces as the
Medusa Rondanini, the
Barberini Faun, and, in
1813, the figures from the Aphaea temple on
Aegina.
The
Second World War didn't destroy much of the artwork in the Glyptothek; but unfortunately the
frescoes didn't survive and only lightly plastered bricks were visible after the museum was reopened in
1972. Since the Assyrian Hall erected in the inner court by Klenze in 1864 wasn't rebuilt, the
Assyrian Orthostat reliefs from the palace of king
Ashur-nasir-pal II and a lion from the
Ishtar Gate of
Babylon were moved into the
Staatliche Sammlung für Ägyptische Kunst.
Architecture
The museum was designed in the Classical Greek - Italian style. The portico is
Ionic, and the outer walls contain niches, in which 18 original Roman and Greek sculptures stand, six on each wall (except the back). The interior has domed vaulting.
The museum was originally built completely out of marble. However,
World War II took its toll, and the edifice of the museum was destroyed. The reconstructed museum isn't as beautiful as it used to be - the Ionic columns were left unfinished and not fluted, and some sculptures were likewise left undone. The reconstructed building is made out of much less marble than the pre-war building. This is evident when one looks at the walls from the interior; they're composed of red brick and painted only with a light plaster to give a marble effect. The frescoes that used to line the walls also didn't make it through the war.
Collections
The Glyptothek contains sculptures dating from the archaic age (ca. 650 BC) to the Roman era (ca. 550 AD). Other notable sculptures, mosaics and reliefs can also be found here.
This collection is complemented by the terracotta and bronze collections in the
Staatliche Antikensammlung (State Collection of Greek and Roman Antiquities), which is located opposite the Glyptothek.
Among the most famous sculptures here are the
Munich Kouros (statue of an adolescent from Attica, ca 540 BC), the
Kouros of Tenea (statue of an adolescent from Corinth, ca 560 BC) and the
temple figures from Aegina (510-480 BC). Of the latter, there are in fact two sets of similar sculptures at the Glyptothek. As archeologists excavated the site at Aegina, these two sets were discovered, and it was later theorized that the original temple was destroyed during the
Peloponnesian War and another temple was erected shortly after in its place. The Greeks hadn't bothered to clear the area, and had left the remains of the original temple buried at the same location.
To the most famous sculptures belong the
portrait of Homer (460 BC), the
Statue of Diomedes (430 BC), the
Medusa Rondanini (440 BC), the
Funeral stele of Mnesarete (380 BC), the
Statue of Eirene (370 BC), the
Alexander Rondanini (ca. 338 BC) and the
Ilioneus (ca 320 BC).
The most famous sculpture representing this time is the
Barberini Faun (220 BC).
Among the famous Roman copies of Greek sculptures are the the
Boy with the Goose (ca 250 BC) and the
Drunken Woman (attributed to
Myron of Thebes; ca 200 BC).
Roman sculptures (150 BC - 550 AD)
The Glyptothek keeps a large collection of Roman
busts, among the most famous ones are the busts of the Emperors
Augustus (ca 40 AD),
Nero (65 AD),
Septimius Severus (200 AD) and his wife
Julia Domna (195 AD). A heroised statue portrays
Domitian as prince (70/80 AD). To the major attractions belong also a colossal statue of
Apollo (1st/2nd centuries AD) from a Roman villa in Tuscany, several Roman sarcophagus reliefs and mosaic floors.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Glyptothek'.
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