The Dying Gaul has come to the US. More specifically, to the West Building of the National Gallery here in Washington, DC. And on Boxing Day the Smith clan went on our annual cultural trip to see it.
The Dying Gaul is my mother's absolute favorite sculpture. We saw it in Rome on my 21st birthday trip and it was spectacular. And of course, as soon as she heard that it was headed our way, my mother decided we would all go see it.
The sculpture was brought to the National Gallery by the Italian Embassy, Roma Capitale, and the Musei Capitolini as part of the "2013 Year of Italian Culture."
I love how detailed the sculpture is, even though its Roman copy of an original Greek bronze sculpture, which was lost centuries ago. Here you can see the Gaul's fatal wound and the sad expression in his eyes. And he is clearly identified as a Gaul by the torc around his neck.
The sculpture is only accompanied by two didactic panels describing its history. There is also a beautiful guide that has been provided by the exhibit's sponsors for visitors to take home. The guide includes much of the same information as the didactic panels, from the history of the sculpture to the fame it gained after its rediscovery.
After its discovery in the mid-17th century, bronze replicas of the statue were made. I think it is poetic that the marble copy of a Greek bronze was so revered that the marble itself was copied in bronze.
Above the Dying Gaul hangs a copy of Giovanni Paolo Panini's Ancient Rome (1754/1757). Apart from this print and the label text, there are no other objects in the exhibit. And it doesn't need anything else.
The Dying Gaul exhibit was originally suppose to run from October 15, 2013 through January 26, 2014. But because of its popularity, it will remain at the National Gallery through March 16, 2014. The sculpture will then be returned to the Musei Capitolini in Rome.
If you are in the Washington, D.C. area and have a chance to stop by, I strongly suggest you go and see this magnificent sculpture. There is a reason it has been so popular for so many centuries. It is absolutely spectacular. I am so thankful to the Italian Embassy and the other sponsors who brought the Dying Gaul here so that I might have another chance to see it.
