Bekhen stone or Greywacke
H_ 44 cm
Hellenistic art from the XNUMXst century BC. J.-C. - II th century AD. J.-C.
The bust represents the Greek mythological hero Meleager, prince of Calydon (Gulf of Corinth) and argonaut. It is famous for the famous Calydonian boar hunt. This famous mythological scene was depicted in painting and sculpture from antiquity to neoclassicism. After a successful harvest, his father Oinos offers an important sacrifice to all the gods, however forgetting to honor the goddess of the hunt Artemis and who, in revenge, sent a monstrous boar to the lands of Calydon to destroy all the crops.
After several attempts to stop the ferocious beast, it was his son Meleager who took over by killing the boar with a spear.
The face opposite is represented slightly twisted in relation to the bust and is characterized by idealized features: the straight and long nose, the half-open mouth with fleshy lips and the slightly pronounced chin. The slightly drooping gaze recalls the pathos of Late Classical and Hellenistic art. Similar portraits are found among Ptolemaic princes. The high, square forehead is surmounted by hair divided into soft, messy locks framing the face and leaving the ears uncovered. The finely sculpted and hollowed locks (traces of deposits and patinas) bring volume to the hair.
The portrait with youthful features expresses great timeless beauty and if it refers in part to the representation of Hermes Pio-Clementino (Vatican Museums, also known as the Antinous of the Belvedere) it is closer to the representations of Meleager such than the bust in the British Museum, London, inv. 1906.1-17.1 (leg.1), sculpture from the Chiaramonti Gallery, inv. 15.70 and the portrait from the Chiaramonti Gallery, inv. 12.01. (leg.2) and the sculpture inspired by Skopas' original kept in the Vatican Museums, inv.490. (leg.3).
The stone is a greywacke from Wadi Hammamat used by Egyptians from the predynastic period and highly prized for its bronze-like color and preservation characteristics.
During the Ptolemaic and Roman period, the use of colored Egyptian stones was very widespread and from the Augustan period the Romans increasingly exploited the quarries of granite, porphyry and greywacke intended for the elite. For similar important portraits in greywacke see the head of Isis in the British Museum, London, inv. 1926.4-15.15 (leg.4), the portrait of a veiled woman kept at the Boston Fine Arts Museum, inv. 1973.600 (leg 5.)
Provenance: Private English collection.
Former Bonham's sale
AN IMPORTANT ROMAN BEKHEN STONE (GREYWACKE) SHORT BUST OF A GOD OR AN ATHLETE, AFTER A CLASSICAL GREEK MODEL FROM THE SECOND HALF 4TH CENTURY BC
17,3 in. High.
The bust represents the Greek mythological hero Meleager, Prince of Calydon (Gulf of Corinth) and Argonaut. Famous for the mythical Calydonian boar hunt. This mythological scene was depicted in painting and sculpture from ancient times to neoclassicism. After a successful harvest, his father Oinos offers an important sacrifice to all gods however he forgot to honor Artemis who in revenge, sent a monstrous boar on the lands of Calydon to destroy all the crops. After several attempts to stop the ferocious beast, it was his son Meleager who killed the boar with a spear.
The face is represented slightly in torsion compared to the bust and is characterized by idealized features: the straight and long nose, the half-open mouth with full lips and the slightly pronounced chin. The slightly drooping gaze reminds the pathos of Late Classical and Hellenistic art—similar portraits are found among the Ptolemaic princes. The high, square forehead is topped with parted hair of soft, messy locks framing the face and leaving the ears exposed. The finely sculpted and hollowed out locks (traces of deposits and patinas) bring volume to the hair.
The portrait with juvenile features expresses great timeless beauty and if it partly refers to the representation of Hermes Pio-Clementino (Vatican Museums, also known as the Antinous of the Belvedere) it is closer to the representations of Meleager such as the bust in the British Museum, London, inv. 1906.1-17.1 (leg 1), the sculpture from the Chiaramonti Gallery, inv. 15.70, the portrait from the Chiaramonti Gallery, inv. 12.01. (leg 2) and the sculpture inspired by the original Skopas in the Vatican Museums, inv. 490. (leg 3).
The stone is a greywacke from Wadi Hammamat used by the Egyptians from the predynastic period and very popular for its bronze-like color and its conservation characteristics.
During the Ptolemaic and Roman period, the use of colored Egyptian stones was very widespread, and by the Augustan period the Romans increasingly exploited the granite, porphyry and grauwacke quarries intended for the elite. For similar important portraits in greywacke see the head of Isis in the British Museum, London, inv. 1926.4-15.15 (leg 4), the portrait of a veiled woman in the Boston Fine Arts Museum, inv. 1973.600 (leg 5.)
Full Description