http://collections.mfa.org/collections/315230/objects/rdfMFA Images: Religion and Mythologyhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/984830/resize%3Aformat%3Dfullhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/698674/resize%3Aformat%3DfullAbraham Preparing to Sacrifice Isaac (Genesis, XXII, 9–12)about 1783William BlakePen and ink with watercolor on paperhttp://collections.mfa.org/objects/36637/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1807310/resize%3Aformat%3DfullAdam and Eve Sleeping (Illustration to Milton's "Paradise Lost")1808William BlakeBlack ink and watercolor with gold and silver paint and traces of graphite on paperMilton's Paradise Lost IV, 798 sqq.http://collections.mfa.org/objects/36628/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1626197/resize%3Aformat%3DfullAegis of Isis945–712 B.C.Bronze with inlays of electrum, silver, and bronzeEarly Egyptologists with a Classical background often drew on vocabulary from Greek mythology to describe Egyptian antiquities for which a suitable term was lacking. They borrowed the word aegis, which refers to the shield or breastplate of Athena, for religious or cult objects shaped like a broadcollar surmounted by the head of a deity. Evidently such a composition reminded them of images from Greek vase painting of Athena with the head of Medusa on her breastplate, serpents swirling around the perimeter. This particularly large and ornate aegis represents the goddess Isis. She wears the crown of Upper Egypt over a vulture headdress and a broadcollar with falcon-head terminals and a frieze of uraei along the top. The combination of different metal alloys for contrast was a specialty of the period and serves to point out the intricate patterns of the collar and crown. In real life such a heavy collar would have required a counterpoise, called a menat, to keep it in place. Such a counterpoise, heavily decorated, is attached to the back of this aegis by a hinge. The square scene at the top of the menat shows Isis suckling Horus. In Egyptian mythology, Isis took her newborn son Horus to the Delta marshes to hide him from his evil uncle Seth. There she protected him by her magic from snakes and scorpions. The round scene below shows Horus again, represented as a falcon in a papyrus grove flanked by the protective goddesses of the south (the vulture) and the north (the cobra). In both scenes Horus represents the king as recipient of divine sustenance and protection. Such elaborate mythological compositions were popular in Dynasty 22, when the technique of inlaid bronze was also at its height.In Egyptian art aegises appear as prow orna-ments on sacred boats and as finials on the top of poles carried in religious processions. They also occur as amulets and on finger rings, or they can be held in the hands of bronze statuettes of goddesses. It is not known how this particular aegis was used. There is no convenient way to hold it. It is perhaps best regarded as a votive offering placed in a temple.http://collections.mfa.org/objects/147427/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/971659/resize%3Aformat%3DfullAizen myôô, the Wisdom King of Passion14th centuryJapanese cypress with polychrome, gold, and inlaid crystal; joined woodblock constructionhttp://collections.mfa.org/objects/9002/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/981892/resize%3Aformat%3DfullAmulet of Harsaphes (Heryshef)740–725 B.C.Cast goldhttp://collections.mfa.org/objects/37044/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1317499/resize%3Aformat%3DfullAmulet of Hathor nursing a queen743–712 B.C.SilverThis gilded silver amulet shows the Kushite Queen Nefrukakashta being embraced and nursed by a goddess, probably Hathor. The goddess wears the vulture headdress and a crown consisting of a diadem with bovine horns and the solar disc. A protective vulture flies above the queen, its claw resting on her royal uraeus cobra. http://collections.mfa.org/objects/45975/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1298114/resize%3Aformat%3DfullAngels Representing Adoration, Praise, Thanksgiving, and Love1890sJohn La FargeOpaque and transparent watercolor and metallic paintImage shown in Artemis is only one group of four.Watercolor on paper in four parts: 21.1555.__(1) Adoration (2) Praise (3) Thanksgiving and (4) Lovehttp://collections.mfa.org/objects/238167/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1017977/resize%3Aformat%3DfullThe Archangel GabrielMaster of the Miraculous Annunciation of Ss. AnnunziataOil on copperAfter a fresco in the church SS. Annunziata, Florencehttp://collections.mfa.org/objects/34298/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1807326/resize%3Aformat%3DfullThe Archangel Raphael with Adam and Eve (Illustration to Milton's "Paradise Lost")1808William BlakeBlack ink and watercolor with gold paint over graphite on paperMilton's Paradise Lost V, 443 sqq.http://collections.mfa.org/objects/156665/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1016167/resize%3Aformat%3DfullArchitrave relief from the Temple of Athena at Assos with a scene of Herakles and Centaursabout 540–525 B.C.AndesiteThe taenia and regula (without guttae) of a Doric architrave are at the top of the block, a similar taenia at the bottom, and a narrower, raised band at the right end. Within this frame appears the adventure of Herakles with the centaurs of Mount Pholoë. The upper part of the centaur Pholos, the host of Herakles, is preserved at the left end. He is bearded, nude, and has human forelegs. He holds a large wine cup in his right hand, and lifts his left in a gesture of astonishment.In front of him Herakles, beardless and nude, stands in profile to the right, bending forward, with his left leg advanced. He is drawing his bow, while before him three centaurs flee rapidly to the right. All three are bearded and have human forelegs. The first and third look back as they run, and carry what appear to be clubs, one in his right, the other in his left hand. The centaur in the middle is without a weapon, stretching out one arm in front and one behind him. The lower parts of all three centaurs are exactly alike; the left foreleg is advanced and the equine hind legs are placed side by side. The hind legs of two of the centaurs overlap the thigh of the following figure.Broken in two, the relief is incomplete and broken irregularly, at the left end; the upper right-hand corner has been broken off. The surfaces are worn, both chipped and weathered. The surfaces are now a crusty brown.http://collections.mfa.org/objects/151022/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/857375/resize%3Aformat%3DfullThe Ascension1775John Singleton CopleyOil on canvashttp://collections.mfa.org/objects/32172/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/747151/resize%3Aformat%3DfullAvalokiteshvara11th centuryGray schisthttp://collections.mfa.org/objects/22167/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1189924/resize%3Aformat%3DfullBenzaiten, the Goddess of Music and Good Fortune, on a Dragonabout 1886 (Meiji 19)Hashimoto GahōPanel; ink, color, and gold on paperhttp://collections.mfa.org/objects/27124/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1175254/resize%3Aformat%3DfullBodhisattva3rd century C.E.Gray schisthttp://collections.mfa.org/objects/18387/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/590218/resize%3Aformat%3DfullBuddha Headabout 3rd century A.D.Schisthttp://collections.mfa.org/objects/28579/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/897933/resize%3Aformat%3DfullByaku-e Kannon, White-Robed Bodhisattva of Compassionfirst half of the 16th centuryKano MotonobuHanging scroll; ink, color, and gold on silkhttp://collections.mfa.org/objects/24752/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1807327/resize%3Aformat%3DfullThe Casting of the Rebel Angels into Hell (Illustration to Milton's "Paradise Lost")1808William BlakeBlack ink and watercolor over graphite on paperMilton's Paradise Lost VI, 835 sqq.http://collections.mfa.org/objects/183701/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1807323/resize%3Aformat%3DfullChrist Accepting the Office of Redeemer (Illustration to Milton's "Paradise Lost")1808William BlakeBlack ink and watercolor over graphite on paper"Father thy word is passed" Paradise Lost, III, 227http://collections.mfa.org/objects/156661/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1132876/resize%3Aformat%3DfullChrist as the Man of Sorrowsabout 1470Unidentified artist, Alsatian, 2nd half 15th centuryOil on panelhttp://collections.mfa.org/objects/33560/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1618780/resize%3Aformat%3DfullThe Communion of the ApostlesLuca GiordanoOil on canvashttp://collections.mfa.org/objects/30910/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1009337/resize%3Aformat%3DfullCoronation of the VirginMaster of BonastreOil on panelhttp://collections.mfa.org/objects/31366/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/942489/resize%3Aformat%3DfullCovered drinking cup (kylix) with Apollo and a Museabout 460 B.C.the Carlsruhe PainterCeramic, white ground technique with added clay and gilding on interior of cover; red-figure technique on rim and exteriorBoth the form and decoration of this cup are extremely unusual. The cover, seen here from above, was not designed to open. The cup was filled through a hollow in its stemmed base, and libations were poured out through the opening in the cover. The cup depicts the god Apollo appearing before one of the nine Muses, goddesses of the arts, whom he led and inspired. The lyre this Muse holds was originally gilded. She sits on a rock and wears a light brown dress (chiton).The exterior sides of the cup are decorated with two (one on each side) fully draped women running, carrying sprigs.http://collections.mfa.org/objects/154002/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1807324/resize%3Aformat%3DfullThe Creation of Eve (Illustration to Milton's "Paradise Lost")1808William BlakeBlack ink and watercolor over graphite on paperMilton's Paradise Lost VIII, 470http://collections.mfa.org/objects/156664/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/676276/resize%3Aformat%3DfullCrucified Christ with the Virgin and Saint John the EvangelistNaddo CeccarelliTempera on panelhttp://collections.mfa.org/objects/31560/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1052060/resize%3Aformat%3DfullThe Crucifixionabout 1525Joos van CleveOil on panelhttp://collections.mfa.org/objects/31426/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/899970/resize%3Aformat%3DfullThe Dead Christ with Angelsabout 1524–27Rosso Fiorentino (Giovanni Battista di Jacopo)Oil on panelhttp://collections.mfa.org/objects/33615/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1396496/resize%3Aformat%3DfullThe Dean's Roll Call1899Thomas EakinsOil on canvashttp://collections.mfa.org/objects/32882/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1007634/resize%3Aformat%3DfullThe Descent From the Crosspossibly mid–1480sCosimo RosselliOil and tempera on panelhttp://collections.mfa.org/objects/31978/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1091563/resize%3Aformat%3DfullDoor of a Mosqueabout 1891John Singer SargentOil on canvashttp://collections.mfa.org/objects/32584/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1039491/resize%3Aformat%3DfullDrinking cup (skyphos) with the departure and recovery of Helenabout 490 B.C.MakronCeramic, Red FigureSide A: Paris (named Alexandros here) is leading Helen away from Sparta and the Palace of Menelaos. Aeneas, with a lion shield, accompanies Paris. Aphrodite and Eros flank Helen. Peitho, the personification of persuasion, follows behind Aphrodite. The boy under the handle is thought to be Helen's son by Menelaos. Side B: During the sack of Troy. Helen fleeing to the Sanctuary of Apollo. Menelaos, at the right, sees Helen and draws his sword to kill her. Aphrodite is behind Helen, present as an intervening force. Menelaos is in the act of dropping his sword, overcome by Helen's beauty. The priest of the sanctuary, Chryses, and his daughter, Chryseis are also present (at far left). Priam is seated under handle at the right, watching the story unfold. Painted inscriptions: "Aineas"; "Alexandros"; "Aphrodite" (twice); "Priam"; "Helen" (twice); "Kriseis"; "Kriseus"; "Menelaos"Scratched on handle: "Hieron made (it)" (HIERON EPOIESEN) Painted under the opposite handle: "Makron drew (it)" (MAKRON EGRAPHSEN)The size of this vessel suggests it was made for display, rather than use, and like huge kylikes (parade cups) of the same period which could not have been used for drinking.http://collections.mfa.org/objects/153876/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/610325/resize%3Aformat%3DfullDurga as Mahishasuramardini (the Slayer of the Buffalo Demon)970–1070Green schisthttp://collections.mfa.org/objects/17153/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1000616/resize%3Aformat%3DfullEarring with Nike driving a two-horse chariotabout 350–325 B.C.Gold, enamelEarring in form of Nike driving a two-horse chariot (biga). The figures are modeled in the round and form a pendant suspended from a disc in the shape of a honeysuckle palmette. Wearing a belted chiton (tunic), a full-length skirt, and several items of jewelry, Nike leans forward, her left hand pulling on the reins of the horses, whose front legs rear sharply. The features on the goddess's face are crisp and her expression resolute, while the animals appear startled and tense. Raised as if in flight, Nike's elaborate, feathery, and finely chased wings provide an elegant counterbalance to the dynamic composition.The ornament is composed of more than a hundred individual elements soldered together. The bodies of the figures are crafted from gold sheet that is embellished with wirework details and small gold balls. The honeysuckle palmette is fashioned into curved petals and circular stamens outlined with fine twisted wires; remnants of enamel survive on several of the stamens. In the center of the leaf is a tear-shaped fruit encrusted with dense gold granulation. A hoop on the underside was probably attached to an ear wire, which is now missing. http://collections.mfa.org/objects/155707/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1534655/resize%3Aformat%3DfullElijah in the Desert1818Washington AllstonOil on canvashttp://collections.mfa.org/objects/30844/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1807308/resize%3Aformat%3DfullThe Expulsion from Eden (Illustration to Milton's "Paradise Lost")1808William BlakeBlack ink and watercolor with gold paint over graphite on paperMilton's Paradise Lost XII, 632 sqq.http://collections.mfa.org/objects/183700/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/813463/resize%3Aformat%3DfullExpulsion from Paradise1470sBenvenuto di GiovanniTempera on panelhttp://collections.mfa.org/objects/33565/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1066240/resize%3Aformat%3DfullExpulsion from the Garden of Eden1828Thomas ColeOil on canvashttp://collections.mfa.org/objects/33060/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/727043/resize%3Aformat%3DfullThe Fall of Man (Small Passion)1510–11Albrecht DürerWoodcuthttp://collections.mfa.org/objects/344/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1807312/resize%3Aformat%3DfullFamine1805William BlakeBlack ink and watercolor over graphite on paperhttp://collections.mfa.org/objects/183708/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/839296/resize%3Aformat%3DfullFigurine of Herakles shooting his bowabout 550 B.C.BronzeOrnament from the rim of a vessel (?); the place of attachment on the left side shows that the figure was to be seen in profile to the right and was applied to a curved surface. Herakles is in the archaic running, kneeling posture. The hero is bearded and wears a tight-fitting cloth cap (or his hair in a rolled fillet) and a small cuirass with cloth belt around the waist. His lion's skin is worn as a tunic under the cuirass, the animal's head coming down on the right thigh and the paws on the left. Right arm and hand, and part of bow-string missing. Dark greenish brown patina.http://collections.mfa.org/objects/152666/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/686043/resize%3Aformat%3DfullThe Finding of Moses1870sAlexander F. LoemansOil on canvashttp://collections.mfa.org/objects/33102/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1453218/resize%3Aformat%3DfullFisherman and the Genieabout 1863Elihu VedderOil on panelhttp://collections.mfa.org/objects/31297/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/782696/resize%3Aformat%3DfullFragment of a mummy-case1070–760 B.C.CartonnageFragment of a cartonnage mummy case depicting Osiris and two of the four sons of Horus. Gesso on linen. Heavy white priming; light yellow ground; three figures in conventional profile to left in red, green, blue, yellow and black; irregular edges.http://collections.mfa.org/objects/133602/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/675102/resize%3Aformat%3DfullFraternal Love1851William Adolphe BouguereauOil on canvashttp://collections.mfa.org/objects/31336/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1138725/resize%3Aformat%3DfullFriend of the Humble (Supper at Emmaus)1892Léon-Augustin LhermitteOil on canvashttp://collections.mfa.org/objects/31032/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/801374/resize%3Aformat%3DfullThe Garden of Edenabout 1860Erastus Salisbury FieldOil on canvashttp://collections.mfa.org/objects/33347/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/614034/resize%3Aformat%3DfullGoliath Cursing David (I Samuel XVII, 43–44)about 1803–05William BlakePen and watercolor on paperhttp://collections.mfa.org/objects/183706/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/913790/resize%3Aformat%3DfullHarivamsa (Genealogy of Krishna): The Birth and Escape of KrishnaAbout 1590, border added laterOpaque watercolor and gold on paperhttp://collections.mfa.org/objects/148520/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1662412/resize%3Aformat%3DfullHathor-headed crystal pendant743–712 B.C.Gold, rock crystalCrystal ball amulet surmounted by gold head of Hathor crowned with disc and horns. The ball is bored vertically and has a gold disc at the base on which it stands. Probably contained substances believed to be magical. Ring at back of head. Base loose.http://collections.mfa.org/objects/143587/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/801362/resize%3Aformat%3DfullHead of a goddess or queenabout 300–270 B.C.BronzeOn iconographic grounds, this life-size female head has been considered a portrait of the Ptolemaic queen Arsinoe II (316-270 B.C.) or an image of a goddess, such as Artemis or Aphrodite. The wavy hair is parted in the center and encircled twice by a fillet (ribbon). Long, thin eyebrows frame heavy eyelids, long nose, and full lips. The eyes, now missing, would have been inserted into the hollow sockets; the lips were coated in another metal. Condition: Irregular break along the base of the face. Crack along the chin, which was reattached. Two cracks along the left cheek. Large gashes on the top of the head and large dent along the right side of the forehead. Green patina. http://collections.mfa.org/objects/152722/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1046884/resize%3Aformat%3DfullHead of Aphroditeabout A.D. 138–192Marble from Mt. Pentelikon near Athens; top of the head made in separate piece of marbleBroken at base of neck. Upper part of skull missing by an oblique break from just above the forehead to below the crown on the back. Nose somewhat damaged. Hairstyle is a complexity of looped and dangling strands with some of the hair combed backward to a loose bun below her headband and some strands pulled up at the front, probably to be tied into a bowknot on top of her head. In addition, two long locks of hair fall down onto her shoulders.Scientific Analysis:Harvard Lab No. HI713: Isotope ratios - delta13C +2.43 / delta18O -4.99, Attribution - Pentelikon, Justification - Fine grained marble.http://collections.mfa.org/objects/70/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/914128/resize%3Aformat%3DfullHead of Aphroditeabout 1st century B.C.Marble probably from the Greek island of ParosHead turned slightly to her left with hair secured by a ribbon, below which it was pulled back to a loose knot at the nape of her neck. Surface rough with corrosion. The top of the head was made separately; eyes originally made of another material.Scientific Analysis: Marble has been scientifically tested with X-Ray Fluorescence and determined to be Calcitic. Harvard Lab No. HI236: Isotope ratios - delta13C +1.93 / delta18O -1.05, Attribution - Probably Paros 2, Justification - Coarse grained marble.http://collections.mfa.org/objects/189/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/788525/resize%3Aformat%3DfullHead of Aphrodite of the Capitoline typeabout 2nd century A.D. (after a Hellenistic Greek type)Marble, Dolomitic from the Greek island of Thasos, top of head completed in Calcitic marble probably from Mt. Pentelikon near AthensThe head has been detached from the Capitoline Aphrodite (99.350). The nose, the lower lip, and the end of the chin have been restored. The surfaces are slightly damaged and somewhat rubbed off, in post-Antique times. The hair drawn back above the sides of the face and the shape of the face itself bear considerable resemblance to the Capitoline Aphrodite; the center of the topknot lacks the big "Herakles knot," and the locks of hair falling down to the shoulders have been reduced to one smallish curl on the right side of the neck.Scientific Analysis: Marble has been scientifically tested with X-Ray Fluorescence and the head has been determined to be Dolomitic, with the top of head determined to be Calcitic. Harvard Lab No. HI093: Isotope ratios - delta13C +3.50 / delta18O -3.73, Attribution - Thasos-Cape Vathy, Justification - Dolomitic by EM. (Top of Head)Harvard Lab No. HI219: Isotope ratios - delta13C +2.07 / delta18O -6.64, Attribution - Probably Pentelikon, Justification - From Italy.http://collections.mfa.org/objects/151167/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1203851/resize%3Aformat%3DfullHead of Aphrodite ("The Bartlett Head" )about 330–300 B.C.Parian marbleSo-called Bartlett Head of Aphrodite, associated with the style of Praxiteles. Important and rare original example of late Classical or early Hellenistic sculpture. Neck is worked for insertion into a full length statue, now lost. Well preserved except for a small break at the tip of the nose.http://collections.mfa.org/objects/151059/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/988392/resize%3Aformat%3DfullHead of Polyphemosabout 150 B.C. or laterMarble, Dolomitic from the Greek island of ThasosThis head comes from a group, probably of the blinding of Polyphemos, similar to that constructed from fragments found in the grotto at Sperlonga, along the Italian coast southwest of Rome. Polyphemos is based, in details of hair and beard, on a Pergamene centaur. The sculptor was wise in rejecting the older tradition, one seen in Hellenistic terracottas, of showing the monstrous giant as a kind of fat-faced baboon, with large ears and his eye set like a beacon light in the middle of his forehead. Here the rugged, animal power of the creature has been stressed.Broken off through the neck and the lower whiskers, the head is in relatively excellent condition, save for the damage to the beard below the mouth. The marble has a yellow-buff tone. This is the head of the one-eyed, man-eating Cyclops whom Odysseus finally outwitted and blinded. Here the monster is in a peaceful mood, either waiting to receive the cup of wine offered him by Odysseus, or, more likely, gazing love-struck at the indifferent sea nymph Galatea. The head comes from a sculptural group that might have adorned a public fountain or a luxurious seaside villa. The type originated in the second century B.C., yet the lively and direct style of this piece makes difficult to judge whether it is a contemporary variant or a Roman copy.Scientific Analysis: Marble has been scientifically tested with X-Ray Diffraction and determined to be Dolomitic. Harvard Lab No. HI363: Isotope ratios - delta13C +3.85 / delta18O -3.03, Attribution - Thasos-Cape Vathy, Justification - Dolomitic by XRD.http://collections.mfa.org/objects/151108/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1016159/resize%3Aformat%3DfullHead of Zeus350–340 B.C.Marble from Mt. Pentelikon near AthensThis over-lifesize marble head, originally part of a seated or standing statue, likely represents a reinterpretation of the Olympian Zeus by a sculptor of a later generation. The symmetry of the hair, beard, and facial features impart a sense of tranquil gravity suited to this all-powerful divinity. Cuttings on the crown of the head suggest that a headdress, or polos, once sat on top. Condition: The base of the neck is worked for insertion in a statue. The greater part of the nose has been restored in plaster, after the Zeus on the Hadrianic coin of Elis. Some chips from the base of the neck in front and from the locks of hair falling behind the ears are also missing. Incrustation has been removed from the right side of the face. There are two holes for dowels in the crown. The head was made separately for insertion in a statue, which was draped. The face was turned somewhat to its own right. At the left side of the neck is a small fragment of the himation which was draped over the god's shoulder. A depression running around the skull suggests that the marble head was encircled by a wreath made separately of bronze.Scientific Analysis: Harvard Lab No. HI255: Isotope ratios - delta13C +2.63 / delta18O -5.81, Attribution - Pentelikon, Justification - Fine grained marble.http://collections.mfa.org/objects/151048/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/613818/resize%3Aformat%3DfullHeraklesMarble from Carrara in northwest ItalyThe nose, the chin, and parts of the lips (?) have been restored in plaster. An outer piece of the left ear is restored in marble. The surfaces have acquired a rich yellow patina, partly cleaned particularly around the eyes. Herakles wears a crown or rolled fillet, tied with ribbons, in his curly hair. There are "traces of yellow-red color on the eyes and hair."Scientific Analysis: Isotope ratios - delta13C +2.108 / delta18O -1.617, Attribution - Carrara, Justification (Petrographic Analysis) - maximum grain size (0.9, 0.7 mm), Mg present.http://collections.mfa.org/objects/151162/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1174692/resize%3Aformat%3DfullHercules as Heroic Virtue Overcoming Discordabout 1632–33Peter Paul RubensOil on panelStudy for the ceiling of the Banqueting House, Whitehall.http://collections.mfa.org/objects/33143/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1000617/resize%3Aformat%3DfullHermes Kriophoros (Ram-bearer)about 500–490 B.C.BronzeVotive statuette of Hermes holding a ram under his left arm. He is dressed in a short belted chitoniskos, small brimmed petasus, and laced boots with wings (endromides). The god stands frontally on an oblong plinth with his left foot advanced. Originally (now lost) he held the herald's staff (kerykeion, in Latin, caduceus) of the Olympian messenger in his right hand.Condition:Well preserved. gray Green patina. A hole is drilled through the right hand; the greater part of the wing on the right foot is missing. Remains of four metal tangs for attachment into another base have been filed down. E. P. Warren thought these were feet, but they seem to have been too thin for this. There are two flat plates on the hollowed out inside of the base for attaching the plinth to the feet. These have been pierced in modern times with threading in connection with the present mounting on a wooden block. Thin patina of green and brown. Attached to mount MT.71.http://collections.mfa.org/objects/152668/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1030873/resize%3Aformat%3DfullHermes Kriophoros (the ram bearer)about 520–510 B.C.BronzeVotive statuette of Hermes as bearded shepherd and guardian of the flocks. Dressed as a herdsman in a short belted tunic, brimmed hat, and low laced boots, he holds small ram safe beneath his left arm; probably held the herald's staff (kerykeion in Greek, caduceus in Latin) in his right hand. Possibly made in Sikyonian workshop. Some details incised after casting. Greenish gray patina.http://collections.mfa.org/objects/152667/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/600037/resize%3Aformat%3DfullHydriaShortly before A.D. 1889, imitating a work of about 530–520 B.C.Ceramic, imitation black figureOn shoulder the battle of Theseus and the Minotaur: eight figures. Principal design Herakles mounting a quadriga. Athena stands in the chariot. Six other figures, including Apollo, who plays the lyre. Below, two lions and two fawns, alternating. Painted over.http://collections.mfa.org/objects/153436/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/761557/resize%3Aformat%3DfullIn Memoriamabout 1861Alfred StevensOil on panelhttp://collections.mfa.org/objects/32048/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1102495/resize%3Aformat%3DfullIsaiah with Two Angelsabout 1410Gherardo di Jacopo StarninaTempera on panelhttp://collections.mfa.org/objects/31852/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1346109/resize%3Aformat%3DfullIzanami and Izanagi Creating the Japanese Islandsmid 1880sKobayashi EitakuHanging scroll; ink and color on silkhttp://collections.mfa.org/objects/26669/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/746843/resize%3Aformat%3DfullJar (pelike) with Odysseus and Elpenor in the Underworldabout 440 B.C.the Lykaon PainterCeramic, Red FigureOdysseus, having slain two rams, seated on a rock conversing with the shade of Elpenor. Hermes stands at the right. Reverse: Poseidon pursuing Amymone.[Label text]:Homer tells us in the Odyssey about Odysseus' journey to the underworld to learn how to return to his homeland of Ithaca. While in Hades, Odysseus meets Elpenor, the youngest member of his crew. Elpenor had died on the island of the witch Circe; half-drunk and half-asleep, he fell from the roof of Circe's house. The scene of their reunion in the Underworld is pictured on this pelike. Having not received the proper funeral rites on Circe's island, Elpenor persuades Odysseus to give him a proper burial. Odysseus has sacrificed the two rams that lie at his feet to honor Elpenor and to keep the other spirits in Hades from tormenting him. Hermes stands behind Odysseus in his typical winged helmet and boots and with his caduceus. Although the messenger god does not appear in Homer's telling of the story, it is appropriate for him to be a part of this scene as he often acted as a guide to the souls in Hades. The painter shows Odysseus deeply concentrating on the words of the dead sailor while Elpenor speaks. The mysterious scene of Hades depicted here was once highlighted in white pigment to draw out the details of the rocky landscape of the underworld. On the opposite side of the vase, Poseidon, the god of the seas and enemy of Odysseus, pursues Amymone, one of the fifty daughters of King Danaus and Europa. Poseidon carries the fisherman's spear that often identifies him in art. Her kingdom having no water, Amymone went in search of it. In the scene represented here, she carries a water jug. Poseidon fell in love with Amymone and rewarded her for her affection by creating the spring of Lerna. The result of their affair was Nauplius, a great sailor. The woman behind Poseidon is perhaps one of the many sisters of Amymone.http://collections.mfa.org/objects/153840/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1009340/resize%3Aformat%3DfullJeremiah with Two Angelsabout 1410Gherardo di Jacopo StarninaTempera on panelhttp://collections.mfa.org/objects/31853/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/632521/resize%3Aformat%3DfullKannon, the Bodhisattva of Compassionlatter half of the 17th - first half of the 18th centuriesKano TansetsuHanging scroll; ink and color on silkhttp://collections.mfa.org/objects/25875/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1020918/resize%3Aformat%3DfullKrishna and his favorite shelter from a stormabout 1825The Family of NainsukhOpaque watercolor and gold on paperhttp://collections.mfa.org/objects/149055/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/777210/resize%3Aformat%3DfullKrishna as Lover of ManyAbout 1665Ink, color and gold on paperhttp://collections.mfa.org/objects/149672/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/952396/resize%3Aformat%3DfullKrishna fluting for gopas and cowsabout 1700Ink, color and tin on paperhttp://collections.mfa.org/objects/149208/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/953049/resize%3Aformat%3DfullKrishna Vanishes from His Favoriteabout 1760The Family of ManakuOpaque watercolor and gold on paperhttp://collections.mfa.org/objects/149264/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1007645/resize%3Aformat%3DfullThe Lamentation1538Lucas Cranach, the ElderOil on panelhttp://collections.mfa.org/objects/30873/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1411327/resize%3Aformat%3DfullThe Lamentation (Christ at the Tomb)1848Eugène DelacroixOil on canvashttp://collections.mfa.org/objects/31074/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1807311/resize%3Aformat%3DfullLucifer and the Pope in Hell (The King of Babylon)about 1805William BlakeBlack ink and watercolor with graphite and black chalk on paperIsaiah XIV, 9http://collections.mfa.org/objects/183709/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/988745/resize%3Aformat%3DfullMadonna of Humilityabout 1442Giovanni di PaoloTempera on panelhttp://collections.mfa.org/objects/32399/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1463311/resize%3Aformat%3DfullMan of Sorrowsabout 1320-25Pietro da RiminiTempera on panelhttp://collections.mfa.org/objects/32324/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1000608/resize%3Aformat%3DfullMantiklos "Apollo"about 700–675 B.C.BronzeA votive statuette of Apollo evidenced by the inscription on the front of the thighs of this standing nude male figure; inscribed in archaic Boeotian characters "Mantiklos donated me as a tithe to the far shooter, the bearer of the Silver Bow. You, Phoebus (Apollo) give something pleasing in return." There are marks of attachment on the top of the head and a hole for attachment in the forehead. The hole in the left hand has been identified as support for a bow. It has been suggested also that the figure was a warrior, wearing a helmet and carrying a spear in the left hand and a shield on the right arm.http://collections.mfa.org/objects/152660/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1174691/resize%3Aformat%3DfullMercury and a Sleeping Herdsmanabout 1632–33Peter Paul RubensOil on panelFigure studies for the ceiling of the Banqueting House, Whitehall.http://collections.mfa.org/objects/32830/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1807309/resize%3Aformat%3DfullMichael Foretelling the Crucifixion to Adam (Illustration to Milton's "Paradise Lost")1808William BlakeBlack ink and watercolor with gold paint and traces of graphite on paperMilton's Paradise Lost XII, 411 sqq.http://collections.mfa.org/objects/157412/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1146358/resize%3Aformat%3DfullMixing bowl (bell krater) with the death of Aktaion and a pursuit sceneabout 470 B.C.the Pan PainterCeramic, Red FigureTwo sided red-figure bell krater used for mixing wine and water. Side A: Artemis shooting an arrow at Aktaion who has fallen to the ground attacked by his hunting dogs. Aktaion was a hunter, and the goddess of the hunt killed him by turning him into a stag, so that his own dogs tore him to pieces. This elegant rendering of the myth, with Artemis drawing her bow for the coup de grace, and the helpless hero sinking beneath the onslaught of the hounds, is considered one of the greatest of all Athenian vase paintings.Side B: The artist is named the Pan Painter after this scene of the goat-god Pan chasing a young shepherd wearing a fawn-skin (nebris), and a rustic sun hat. The god of flocks obviously has love on his mind, perhaps inspired by the ithyphallic herm standing on a hill in the background. Herms were stone or wooden shafts with the head of the god Hermes, rudimentary arms, and a large carved phallos. Apart from their religious significance, which is poorly understood, they often served to mark boundaries and the intersections of roads. The rustic setting of this herm relates it to Priapos, or some other god of fertility. Pan is not represented in Athenian art until after the Battle of Marathon in 490 B.C., when he was said to have caused a "panic" in the Persian ranks. When one remembers that, like the Persians, Aktaion was punished for his pride, and that his death occurred on the slopes of Mt. Kithairon, the site of the Persian defeat at Plataia, the entire vase becomes a symbol and a memorial of triumph of Athens over Persians. Condition: Broken and repaired.http://collections.mfa.org/objects/153654/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/603150/resize%3Aformat%3DfullMixing bowl (calyx-krater)about 380–360 B.C.The Nazzano PainterCeramic, Red FigureITALIAN VASE PAINTING in ITALY, #166 (1970.487)Calyx-KraterFaliscanAttributed to the Nazzano Painter (Cahn)about 380-360 B.C.Side A: Telephos and the infant Orestes. Telephos, the wounded Mysian king, is seated on the altar in the palace at Mycenae with a dagger in his left hand and the infant Orestes in the other. The child is represented with white skin and wearing a wreath. He stretches out his arms imploringly toward his father, Agamemnon, and another man, perhaps Menelaos or Odysseus or the seer Kalchas. Agamemnon rushes toward the altar, his long scepter in his right hand, but is restrained by the second man. The king wears a sleeved tunic, a long chiton, and a himation that trails from his left arm. His garments are richly embroidered with stars, wave-pattern, palmettes, and egg-pattern. The same is true of the chitons of Telephos and "Kalchas," both of whom also carry himatia and wear embades. At the right, the nurse, raising her arms in panic, has dropped a basket, possibly the baby's cradle. At her right stands the mantled Clytemnestra, pouring a libation with a phiale in her lowered right hand. Like the nurse, she wears bracelets and a richly embroidered chiton and himation but has the latter pulled over her head. Both women have white skin, as do all the females in the scene except Athena.In the upper tier, the gods look down on those earthly events; from left to right are Athena, Iris, Apollo, Artemis, Zeus, and Hermes. At either end of the row of gods, above each handle, is a nude, white-skinned Eros. The one at the left places his left hand on Athena's white, foreshortened shield, and with his right offers the goddess a phiale full of offerings, including two pomegranates. The other Eros stands with his body partly turned to the left, his wings spread out on either side behind him. In his left hand he holds a metal jug, and with his right he reaches toward the tympanum next to Hermes' left leg. He wears nothing but shoes and a bracelet; his counterpart on the other side wears shoes, anklets, a bandoleer, and a wreath. Athena is seated with her legs to the right but looks back at the fruit offered by the Eros. Her right hand touches her shield, and the left holds her short spear in a vertical position. Her helmet has a long white crest, and her scaly aegis has a white-faced gorgoneion in the center. She wears bracelets, shoes, a necklace of white beads, and a richly embroidered peplos. To the right of Athena, Iris runs to the right toward the central group of Apollo and Artemis. Iris wears a short, embroidered chiton, embades, and bracelets. Her hair is tied in back with a white fillet, and there is a fillet of white beads round her head. She holds her caduceus in her outstretched left hand. Although Apollo is seated with his legs toward Iris, he does not see her approaching, having turned his head to the right to converse with Artemis. The god is seated on his cloak and holds a garlanded laurel branch in his left arm. He wears a wreath of laurel and two crossed bandoleers of white beads. Artemis stands facing Apollo, her bow in her upraised left hand and her right arm across her chest. She wears the same boots, chiton, bracelets, and fillets as Iris and also has a cloak over her left arm. Behind her, at the right, Zeus is seated with his legs to the right but looks back toward Artemis. His right hand is raised in front of his chest, and with his left arm he cradles his striped scepter. There is a wreath in his hair, and his cloak has fallen around his waist. To the right of Zeus, the nude Hermes stands with his right foot resting on an unseen support. He wears boots, a petasos, and a cloak pinned at the throat and holds his caduceus in his right hand. The garments of all the figures are richly embroidered, like those worn by actors.B: Dionysos and Ariadne stand between two capering satyrs. The god moves to the left atop a low, viny hummock while looking back at his white-skinned consort, who rests one foot upon a low altar. He is nude except for a wreath and the bordered cloak around his shoulders. Ariadne wears an embroidered chiton with a wave-pattern border as well as bracelets, earrings, a necklace, and a white fillet. Both carry thyrsoi in their left hands, and Dionysos also holds his kantharos in his right hand. A fillet trails from his thyrsos. The satyr at the left wears crossed bandoleers of white beads, and the one at the right holds a metal jug in his right hand. Both wear white wreaths. A variety of disks, rosettes, ivy leaves, and phialai float through the field as filling ornaments.Bands of dotted egg-pattern circle the rim and also frame the enclosed, upright palmettes in the handle-zone of the cul. A wreath of laurel and berries circles the vase below the overhanging rim.The Nazzano Painter is one of the most clearly defined artistic personalities in Faliscan vase-painting. His robust and somewhat rough, angular style is closely related to that of Athenian artists of the beginning of the fourth century like the Meleager Painter or the Oinomaos Painter. He frequently made use of their two-tiered compositions and ornate draperies, and the elaboration and richness of his work compare favorably with that of many of his Athenian predecessors and contemporaries. His mythological narratives often have an amusing quality because of their energy and vividly concrete detail. Some of his compositions, like this one, are relatively well ordered, while others, which may be later, are almost chaotic. Given that the only two Etruscan vase-painters known have Greek names - Praxias and Sokra(tes), both working in added red - it is possible that the Nazzano Painter too was a Greek, presumably an Athenian.Cahn (in Art of Ancient Italy, New York, April 4-29, 1970, pp. 32-33, no. 45), followed by Trendall and Webster (Illustrations, p. 104), connected the scene on this vase with the Telephos of Euripides. Keuls (in Festschrift Cambitoglou, pp. 87-94) has developed the Euripidean connections of this and other representations of the Telephos story even further; she points out that Clytemnestra is introduced into the story only by Euripides, who evidently felt the need for dramatic male-female interaction. Neither Clytemnestra nor other females participate in earlier representations of the story. Nonetheless, there is no need to assume a direct theatrical influence. Although Euripides was popular among South Italian Greeks, there is little evidence that he or his fellow playwrights were much performed in Etruria, let alone Falerii. The elaborate costumes are like those worn by actors, but this detail, like the basic conception of the subject and the composition, could have been transmitted from Attica via the channel of vase-painting. A good parallel for both subject and composition is provided by Berlin 3974, a roughly contemporary Attic calyx-krater (Bauchhenss-Thüriedl, Der Mythos von Telephos [Beiträge der Archäologie 3, 1971], pp. 26-28, pl. 2; De Puma, RM 87, 1980, pp. 17-18, pl. 5, 2; J. Boardman, Athenian Red Figure Vases: The Classical Period: A Handbook [London, 1989], fig. 357).As Richard De Puma has pointed out, the inhabitants of west-central Italy had a special reason to be interested in Telephos; he was regarded as the ancestor of the Etruscans, at least by the Greeks. The connection emerges in the obscure poem Alexandra, written by Lycophron in the third century B.C. Telephos was the father of Tarchon (of Tarquinia) and Tyrsenos (who provided the Greek name for the Etruscans, Tyrsenoi). The literary tradition can probably be traced back to the early third century. Lycophron's verses in the Alexandra touching on this subject are thought to be derived from a long history by Timaeus of Tauromenium (Alexandra 1245-1259; in Callimachus...Lycophron...Aratus...[Loeb edition], p. 422; J. W. Salomonson, OudMed 38 [1957], pp. 29-30; R. D. De Puma, RM 87 [1980], p. 15). In Roman Imperial times, the tradition was modified slightly, and Telephos became the ancestor of the Latins. Telephos nursed by the hind was often paired with representations of Romulus and Remus and the wolf (Salomonson, OudMed 38 [1957], pp. 20-44; L. de Lachenal in A. Giuliano, ed., Museo Nazionale Romano: Le Sculture, I, 5 [Rome 1983], pp. 1-2, no. 1). This and the other Etruscan vases with Telephos collected by De Puma may provide the earliest evidence for this legend's taking root in central Italy itself. http://collections.mfa.org/objects/154445/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/794156/resize%3Aformat%3DfullMixing bowl (calyx krater) with scenes from the fall of Troyabout 470–460 B.C.the Altamura PainterCeramic, Red FigureIlioupersis (Sack of Troy) Side A: Cassandra at the Palladion, an attendant hastening with a box to the left. Cassandra is being menaced by Ajax the Less. To the right, Neoptolemos prepares to hurl Astyanax (son of Hector) from the walls of Troy. Priam is seated on the altar. At the extreme right, two warriors fighting or quarreling.Side B: Aeneas carrying his aged father Anchises from Troy. Creusa follows behind and a warrior leads the way. He may be Ascanius or Hermes in the guise of Aeneas's son.http://collections.mfa.org/objects/153660/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/863753/resize%3Aformat%3DfullMixing bowl (calyx krater) with the killing of Agamemnonabout 460 B.C.the Dokimasia PainterCeramic, Red FigureBoth sides of this vase illustrate tragic scenes from the story of King Agamemnon's return to Mycenae after the fall of Troy.While Agamemnon was away at war, his wife Klytemnestra took as her lover Agamemnon's cousin Aegisthos. On the king's return home, Aegisthos and Klytemnestra plotted to kill Agamemnon. In one scene, Aegisthos gets ready to plunge a sword into Agamemnon, wet from the bath and trapped in a net. Klytemnestra carries an ax to assist her lover. Three other women witness the horrific crime. These women are perhaps Chrysothemis and Elektra, Agamemnon's younger and older daughters, and Kassandra, his slave. Following the first brutal murder, the honorable children of Klytemnestra and Agamemnon avenged the death of their father. Orestes, whipped to action by his sister Elektra, enters the palace to kill Aegisthos who was seated playing the lyre (barbitos). Elektra stands to the right encouraging her brother's actions, while her mother Klytemnestra rushes in with a double axe aimed at her son's head.The Aeolic columns under the handles suggest the palace of Agamemnon and Klytemnestra at Mycenae.http://collections.mfa.org/objects/153661/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1350703/resize%3Aformat%3DfullMixing bowl (volute krater)about 340 B.C.the Varrese PainterCeramic, Red FigureConnected with the work of the Varrese Painter; it is a possible link between the works of the Gioia del Colle Painter and the Painter of Copenhagen 4223 and those of the Darius Painter.A: The death of Thersites. All the principal figures are labeled with incised inscriptions. Rows of white and yellow dots indicating groundlines run throughout the scene on several levels. Achilles (Greek) and the aged Phoenix (Greek) are shown at the center within the pavilion of Achilles, an airy structure with a pediment, palmette akroteria, and slender, fluted Aeolic capitals. In the center of the pediment is a slender figure with upraised arms, like the kouros-handle of a patera. The side of the pavilion's floor is decorated with a labryinthine maeander and saltire-squares. The row of squares above the architrave resembles a Doric frieze but may represent the ends of the ceiling joists. Achilles is seated on a luxurious kline, his cloak beneath him, holding a spear in his right hand and leaning on a pile of cushions, which, like the mattress and coverlets, are elaborately embroidered. Long ringlets frame the hero's face, drawn in three-quarter view. A sword, presumably that just used to decapitate Thersites (Greek), hangs at his side from a white baldric. Phoenix leans on his staff and holds his head in worry. His himation is pulled up over his head; his legs are crossed. The front of the couch is painted white, perhaps to indicate ivory. Its vine decoration is yellow, as is the broad footstool, decorated with egg-pattern. Two chariot wheels, a pair of greaves, a sword, a shield with a gorgoneion device, and a plumed piloshelmet, all yellow, hang from the ceiling of the pavilion. The decapitated body of Thersides, in shoes and disheveled himation, lies in front of the pavilion.The eyes in the liberated head are shut in death; the grizzled beard shows that Achilles has killed an older man.Other heroes and divinities are on either side. Agamemnon (Greek) approaches from the left, holding a scepter with an eagle finial in his right hand. He wears an embroidered, long-sleeved tunic, embades, and a swirling himation. Agamemnon is followed by the younger Phorbas (Greek), who wears embades, a chlamys, and a yellow pilos, and rests a spear on his left shoulder. To the right, Diomedes (Greek), the cousin of Thersites, wearing a chlamys and a white pilos, rushes up to avenge his kinsman. He is accompanied by an Aetolian warrior (Greek) with a spear, sword baldric, and yellow shield. Diomedes starts to draw his sword, but is restrained by Menelaos (Greek). Menelaos wears a chlamys and has a sword slung at his left side. In the upper tier are four figures. At the left of the pavilion are Pan (Greek) and a seated, winged figure like a Fury, labeled Poina (Vengeance). The Fury wears an embroidered chiton with a white belt, crossed bandoleers, tall boots, and a necklace. White snakes twine in her hair. Her face is in three-quarter view. In her right hand she holds a sword; in her left, a scabbard and spear. Pan is leaning against a tree, a spotted animal skin over his shoulders and a wreath on his horned head. He holds his yellow-brown pedum in his right hand. In the field above is a rosette.To the right of the building Athena (Greek) sits on a round, yellow shield, wearing chiton, himation, yellow shoes, and white diadem, aegis, bracelets, earrings, and necklace. In front of her, Hermes (Greek) stands with his legs crossed, wearing winged shoes, chlamys, and wreath. He carries his yellow caduceus and petasos in his left hand and a tall branch with a pendant fillet in his right. At the lower left, the helmeted Automedon, wearing a chlamys, kneels with a shield on his left arm and a spear in his right hand, as if guarding the mutilated Thersites. In the foreground and around Automedon (Greek) and the dead man are objects testifying to the violent action: a broken lustral basin, a tripod, a staff, a footbath, and a variety of metal vases, including two phialai, a kantharos, an oinochoe, and a volute-krater. To the right, a slave or commoner (Greek), wearing boots and a cloak over his left arm, runs off in horror. Many of the larger yellow objects, like shields are toned so that more of the white underpainting shows through at either the forward or upper edge to suggest the play of light.As told in the "Aethiopis", Thersites was slain in a fit of temper by Achilles, for teasing him about his ill-fated love for the Amazon queen Penthesilea. The Greeks were angry and divided as a result of this brutal act, and Achilles had to sail to Lesbos and sacrifice to Apollo in order to appease his fellow leaders and warriors. The reaction of the character labeled Demos may allude to the revulsion among "hoi polloi". The emotions aroused are well portrayed by the painter, who represented the anger of Agamemnon, the chagrin of Phoenix, the anguish of Diomedes, and the haughty nonchalance of Achilles. It is interesting that the Fury Poina, a character who turns up in several Apulian mythological scenes where bad business is at hand (cat. no. 42), has her sword drawn; in this context, she must represent the slashing vengeance of Achilles, the personification of his wrath. Trendall and Webster ("Illustrations", pp. 106-107) suggest the scene may be based on the "Achilles Thersitoktonos" of Chaeremon, a fourth-century dramatist; this may be correct, but if so, the vase-painter has enlarged and elaborated on the stage version, with more protagonists than would be in any single scene.B. A young man in a chlamys and holding a spear in his left hand stands beside a horse within a white-painted naiskos with a pediment and palmette akroteria. The naiskos has an elaborately decorated plinth (maeanders, lesbian cymatium, key-pattern, scrolling rendrils). There are three figures on either side, in two registers. At left, a seated woman with a phiale is offered a wreath by a wreathed youth leaning on a staff. Below them, a woman runs to the right with a yellow "xylophone" and a basket of offerings. On the right, a wreathed youth seated on his cloak and holding a staff and phiale faces a woman with a wreath in her left hand and a branch in her right. Below them, a wreathed youth with a basket of offerings in his left hand leans on his staff. He holds a flower in his right hand and has shoes and a cloak. All three women wear shoes, chiton, kekryphalos, earrings, bracelets, and necklace. Among the offerings in the baskets are alabastra painted yellow and white. Fillets and rosettes float in the upper field.The similarity between the pavilion of Achilles on the obverse and the funerary naiskos on the reverse invites comparison between the dead horseman and the greatest of Greek heroes. Achilles was the very embodiment of "arete", and that is the quality celebrated by the youth's monument. He has joined the heroic dead and, like Odysseus, will see Achilles and the other Homeric heroes in the Underworld. For horsemen as heroes, and demigods, seee A. Cermanovic-Kuzmanovic et. al., "LIMC", VI, 1, pp. 1019-1081, especially p. 1025; VI, 2, pls. 673-719.On the obverse neck, in three-quarter view to the left, is the quadriga of Helios, surrounded by a white, yellow, and red nimbus. The god holds a whip in his right hand and is dressed in a long chiton. His presence is an appropriate symbol of renewal and re-birth on a funerary vase; if he is to be associated with the scene below, it may mean that the action there takes place in the morning, with the first rays of the sun revealing the body of the murdered man.On the reverse neck, Eros is seated on a flower, wearing bracelets, shoes, anklets, necklace, and sakkos; he holds a phiale in his left hand. Elaborate floral ornament and scrolling tendrils, high lighted with added white and yellow, surround both Helios and Eros. The composition with Eros recalls similar scenes on vases of the Alabastra Group and others associated with it; see "RVAp", II, pls. 232 (5 and 8) and 233 (1-3). For the floral ornament, see the comments on cat. no. 21.There are two registers of elaborate palmettes under the handles. The latter have plastic female masks on the volutes and black swan's heads on the shoulders. Springs of white laurel decorate the obverse handle flanges. A wreath of grape leaves and clusters runs around the foot.Above both pictures is a double band of egg-pattern. A band consisting of groups of stopt maeanders to left alternating with cross-squares circles the lower body. A band of egg-pattern circles the lip. Below the obverse lip are an ivy vine, a yellow bead-and-reel molding, and a laurel wreath with a central rosette. Below the reverse lip are a laurel wreath, a row of dots, and a band of rosettes. Excerpted from Padgett, ITALIAN VASE PAINTING in ITALY, #38http://collections.mfa.org/objects/154078/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1009365/resize%3Aformat%3DfullMoses and the Israelites after the Miracle of Water from the Rock1527Lucas van LeydenGlue tempera on linenhttp://collections.mfa.org/objects/33532/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1807315/resize%3Aformat%3DfullMoses Erecting the Brazen Serpent (Numbers XXI, 9)about 1800–03William BlakeBlack ink and watercolor over graphite on paperhttp://collections.mfa.org/objects/36636/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1188652/resize%3Aformat%3DfullThe Mystic Marriage of Saint Catherineabout 1590Peter CandidOil on canvashttp://collections.mfa.org/objects/34344/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/794139/resize%3Aformat%3DfullThe Nativityabout 1776John Singleton CopleyOil on canvashttp://collections.mfa.org/objects/34161/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/799232/resize%3Aformat%3DfullNeck-amphora depicting Herakles and Triton (A) and Dionysos (B)about 520 B.C.Ceramic, Black FigureSide A: Herakles wrestling with Triton, in presence of Nereus.Side B: Dionysus with satyrs and maenads.http://collections.mfa.org/objects/153385/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1046886/resize%3Aformat%3DfullNine dragonsdated 1244Chen RongInk and color on paperhttp://collections.mfa.org/objects/28526/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/782263/resize%3Aformat%3DfullOffering tableA.D. 90–114SandstoneRectangular with spout. Bordering Meroitic inscription. In field crude relief scene: Nephthys and Anubis pouring libations on a table. (tomb of King Teqerideamani).http://collections.mfa.org/objects/145171/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/981888/resize%3Aformat%3DfullOil flask (lekythos) in the form of Aphroditefirst half of 4th century B.C.Ceramic, FiguralLekythos for oils or perfumes shaped in the form of Aphrodite rising from an open shell, with two Erotes hovering above. Figures painted in white; inside of the shell is pink; six rosettes of yellow and gold set about the vessel; traces of pigment (yellow, blue, gold?) found on figures.http://collections.mfa.org/objects/154023/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/776678/resize%3Aformat%3DfullPage from a Gita Govinda series: Krishna and the gopisAbout 1660Ink, color and gold on paperhttp://collections.mfa.org/objects/149695/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/953039/resize%3Aformat%3DfullPage from a Gita Govinda series: Krishna awaiting RadhaProbably 1629SahibdinInk, color and gold on paperhttp://collections.mfa.org/objects/149649/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1807314/resize%3Aformat%3DfullPestilence: Death of the First Bornabout 1805William BlakeBlack ink and watercolor over graphite on paperhttp://collections.mfa.org/objects/36635/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/693654/resize%3Aformat%3DfullPhineas and the Sons of Boreasabout 1695Sebastiano RicciOil on canvashttp://collections.mfa.org/objects/34365/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1807313/resize%3Aformat%3DfullPlagueabout 1805William BlakeBlack ink and watercolor over graphite on paperhttp://collections.mfa.org/objects/183707/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/743686/resize%3Aformat%3DfullRelief of Akhenaten as a sphinx1349–1336 B.C.LimestoneAlthough Akhenaten's religious reforms purged Egyptian art of many of its most familiar manifestations, the king remained fond of the sphinx and often had himself depicted as that fantastic creature - part man, part lion. In Old Kingdom times, the Great Sphinx at Giza probably stood for the king presenting offerings to the sun god, while in the Eighteenth Dynasty the mighty monument was reinterpreted as the sun god Horemakhet, or Horus in the Horizon. Its impeccable solar credentials therefore made the sphinx an appropriate image for Akhenaten at el-Amarna, the city he called Akhetaten, "Horizon of the Sun Disk."This relief was one of a pair flanking a temple doorway. The sphinx on it rests on a plinth, suggesting that it represents a statue. A pair of such reliefs flanking the doorway of a small temple would have evoked the grand avenues of sphinxes that traditionally led up to the entrance pylons of larger Egyptian sanctuaries. Here the sphinx is equipped with human arms and hands to enable him to make offerings to his god, the sun disk, Aten, who appears at the upper left. He wears the uraeus of kingship while behind him (to the left) are two cartouches containing his lengthy official name. The sun's life-giving rays end in so many hands, some holding ankh-signs. Below are three offering stands. To the right, Akhenaten as sphinx raises one hand in adoration while in the other he holds a neb sign, a basket signifying lordship, holding Aten's cartouches. These same cartouches appear a third time in the upper right where they are joined with the cartouches of Akhenaten and Queen Nefertiti, who is thus present in name if not in image. The rest of the inscription describes the "great, living Aten" as "dwelling in the Sunshade temple [called] Creator of the Horizon [which is] in Akhetaten." The temple named here, yet to be located, must be the one for which this block was carved. Akhenaten's religious revolution was accompanied by a change in the way pharaoh was depicted, showing a marked departure from the idealized images favored by his predecessors. Even though the king's face has been sadly hacked away, one can still discern his characteristic slanted eyes, long nose,hollow cheeks, drooping lower lip, and pendulous chin.http://collections.mfa.org/objects/46197/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1260014/resize%3Aformat%3DfullRelief of the gods Amen and Ptah-Sokar-Osiris284–246 B.C.GraniteThe great temple of Isis, the Iseion, at Behbeit el-Hagar in the central Nile Delta was begun by the last of Egypt’s native pharaohs, Nectanebo II, and was completed by the early Ptolemies, who copied the pharaonic style. In fact, the art of the early Ptolemies continued the traditions of the Nectanebos so closely that without an identifying inscription it is not always possible to tell one from the other. The Iseion has been reduced to a field of ruins, but enough remains to show that it was once a magnificent and luxurious structure, built entirely of granite. The hard stone is carved with virtuoso skill to create various effects. The bare-chested figure of Amen, for example, is rounded and fleshy, and shows how well the tripartite division of chest, rib cage, and abdomen seen in the sculpture of King Achoris translates into relief. The mummiform Ptah-Sokar-Osiris is a real tour de force, with subtle undulations of the surface suggesting the figure beneath the shrouded form. The cherubic facial features of both deities closely resemble Nectanebo’s, yet experts agree that they represent the second Ptolemy.http://collections.mfa.org/objects/148420/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/1525259/resize%3Aformat%3DfullRest on the Flight into Egypt1879Luc Olivier MersonOil on canvashttp://collections.mfa.org/objects/31734/rdfhttp://collections.mfa.org/internal/media/dispatcher/692541/resize%3Aformat%3DfullThe Return of the Prodigal SonPeter BrandlOil on canvashttp://collections.mfa.org/objects/34170/rdf