This statue, though morbid, has got some incredible elements in it. Due to a lack of a decent sized picture of the side of this statue, you miss out on the strong stance of the husband and absolute dead weight of the already killed wife. She hangs from his arm languid and loose, bending so that one believes she would collapse out of the pedestal if her husband's supporting hand is retracted. The event that is occurring before the audience's eyes is shocking as well. Though lacking any gore, it is still disturbing and one wonders what would have initiated such an event. The husband's rotation of his head away from his wife could possibly suggest that he laments his own actions--perhaps he kills himself now because he feels so bad about killing her in a moment of rage, or perhaps he kills himself as planned after killing her first so that some oncoming injustice or tragedy would not have to be suffered through by either of them.
You need to do better research. "This piece of art, Gallic Chieftain Killing Himself and His Wife (230-220 BCE), is quite moving and always tugs a bit at my heartstrings. Here we see a man commiting an act of desperation. It shows and chieftain from Gual, who, following the demise of defeat; chooses suicide over surrendering to his enemies and kills his wife to spare her being sold into slavery. These acts are very hard to understand or accept outside of times, but they boil down to love and honor."
ReplyDeleteSource: http://orangeoctoberskies.blogspot.com/2009/10/hellenistic-art-part-1.html
This is just one of many sources what explain the true meaning of this work, not the some senseless murder as you have stated.
You need to do better research. "This piece of art, Gallic Chieftain Killing Himself and His Wife (230-220 BCE), is quite moving and always tugs a bit at my heartstrings. Here we see a man commiting an act of desperation. It shows and chieftain from Gual, who, following the demise of defeat; chooses suicide over surrendering to his enemies and kills his wife to spare her being sold into slavery. These acts are very hard to understand or accept outside of times, but they boil down to love and honor."
ReplyDeleteSource: http://orangeoctoberskies.blogspot.com/2009/10/hellenistic-art-part-1.html
This is just one of many sources what explain the true meaning of this work, not the some senseless murder as you have stated.