By Scott Shephard
Poseidon (Or Zeus?) National Archaeological Museum, Greece
We capped off our 5 day stay in Athens, Greece, yesterday with a visit to The National Archaeological Museum. It hasn’t changed much in the 20 years I’ve been going there but it is still spectacular, largely because of the spectacular accomplishments of the ancient Greeks in the arts and crafts, to name just two.
You are looking at Poseidon. Or maybe Zeus. He may be throwing a lightning bolt. Or maybe a spear. He was sculpted around 460 BCE and whoever he is, he is a rare find. Bronze statues from this era rarely survived — either because they did not weather well or, more likely, were melted down for their material value.
Poseidon was lucky because a boat he was on sank in a storm and lay quietly on the floor of the ocean for centuries. He wasn’t found until the early 1920s.
If you are wondering about his eyes, they were probably made from gem stones that were either stolen or lost to the elements. Nevertheless, this statue is a brilliant example of the Classical style - he was a real human, with a real body and with real movement and emotion.
Oh, and he had real parts. Below is the full frontal view. The Greeks celebrated the male form and never saw it as obscene. Sadly, if you were a high school student of mine and I were teaching in a state that has decided to protect our students from . . . . body parts . . . I may be fired. Sorry if I offend those of are bothered by . . . . body parts.
Canon R5 f/4.0 1/100 sec ISO 2500