Danaid from Temple of Apollo
Palatine Museum
Dark Marble Statue
In the Palatine Museum, there were three Danaid statues perfectly preserved. At one time, there were 50 of these statues, which surrounded the Temple of Apollo located on the Palatine Hill. Danaids, were the fifty daughters of Danaus who were forced into marriage with Danaus’ twin brother’s fifty sons. These brothers were never on good terms, so Danaus ordered his fifty daughters to kill the fifty sons during the wedding. All but one did as they were told. Because of this, it was believed that they were punished in the Underworld by being forced to carry buckets of water to fill a leaky jar that would wash away their sins (1). I believe the history of the Danaids is very iconographic with how they were composed. The Danaids in the Palatine Museum were made of a black marble, which is unusual from the common white, yellow, gray, or red we have seen. That is why I believe the black marble, which had been used to compose these statues, represented the sins and punishment of the Danaids in the Underworld. Also, we often relate white or light to the heavens and darkness to hell; therefore, the black marble in my opinion can be considered a connection between the Danaids and hell or the “underworld.”
As we have learned, the Romans loved to incorporate Greek and Egyptian culture in there society to symbolize there victories and conquering of those lands. The Daniads are a part of Greek Mythology, which, once again show the incorporation of other culture into their society. Lastly, I wanted to make a connection as to why the Danaids were placed around the Temple of Apollo. My first idea is because Apollo represented truth and plague and was known for curing people, which would have assisted the Danaids in their cleansing. The other idea I had relates to the fact that Apollo was the son of Zeus. Supposedly, Zeus ordered Athena and Hermus to purify the Danaids of their crimes (1). It is a stretch, but in this sense the Danaids had a connection with Apollo through Zeus, so it could be a memorial that connects the history between the Danaids and Apollo.
Apollo Fresco
Palatine Museum
Fresco
While only a portion of the fresco remains, the main portion of it has been saved. The fresco is obviously composed of plaster that has been painted on. In it, the focal point is Apollo sitting in the chair with his harp. This focal point has been created by using warm and cool colors. Apollo and his harp have been created using warm colors (gold, tan, and red) while the surroundings are primarily blue, a cool color. As far as the line of the fresco, both Apollo and the harp are curved, whereas, the chair Apollo is sitting on is composed of straight lines. I feel this helps give the impression of the rough and solid nature of the stone chair. It almost presents us with how uncomfortable the chair was to sit in for Apollo
The space in the fresco is very simple. There are two different spaces. The one which includes Apollo and his harp and then the other is merely the sky. In the space with Apollo and his harp, it seems the harp is the main object in the fresco for a couple reasons. First, Apollo’s eyes are focused directly on the harp. Secondly, his left arm is extended out holding the harp while the left arm is resting on the armrest pointed at the instrument. Maybe the most important aspect that helps the harp stick out is its golden color as compared with the tan and white colors of Apollo. Lastly, I feel as though Apollo’s body curves around the harp once again giving the image the harp is the main object.
1. Danaids. http://homepage.mac.com/cparada/GML/DANAIDS.html
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