Of Flight and Things With Wings

Mankind has always been fascinated with flight, we have mythological stories of people who could fly or tired to.  This exhibit is designed to focus around artworks that are based around flight.  The pieces that I have chosen range from a number of dates cultures and art periods in history.  These pieces through there different mediums illustrate this feeling of flight.  They show how man has never stopped dreaming about flying and these pieces illustrate this nicely through there subjects and topics.  They also show the scientific aspect of flight to the imagination of flight. The centerpiece, Model for a Proposed Monument to Commemorate the Invention of the Balloon is a French model commemorating the flight of the first hot air balloon.  Clodion’s Balloon sculpture model, they also help to enhance the majesty and continue the theme of the invention of flying being something incredible and otherworldly.  Each of these pieces shows mankind’s attraction to flight and the want to produce art that reflects this awe and respect for it.  It also represents a scientific achievement being portrayed through the eyes of the artist Clodion.

Unknown, Terracotta statuette of Eros flying 200-150 B.C

Terracotta, 28.55

This piece comes from the Hellenistic culture; it shows a mythological youth with wings flying.  It illustrates that humans have always dreamed of wanting to fly, that we would create art that shows this.  We see this all throughout our history and even today’s culture through superheroes that can even fly without wings.  It is something that was always out of reach for early man and yet fascinated them to craft such pieces.

Claude Michel, Model for a Proposed Monument to Commemorate the Invention of the Balloon 1784

Terracotta, 44.21a, b

The main piece of this exhibition, Clodion’s sculpture was apart of a contest created by the French court. The contest was to see who could create a piece that would honor the achievement of flight by balloon.  Made out of terracotta it depicts a balloon atop a column with putti adorning the column in an upward spiral motion.  The goal of the piece is to draw the viewer’s eye up and create a visual feeling of flight.

Unknown, Stone Flying Owl, 1962

Stone, 1970.45.46

This piece is an illustration of how humans have this fascination with birds and with things that fly.  This piece is skillfully rendered, not that it looks exactly like a bird but it shows what a bird looks like in a simplistic form.  Even though it was constructed from stone through the smoothness of its form it gives the feeling that it could fly despite being made from such a heavy material as stone.

 

Frederick William MacMonnies, Commemorating Lindbergh's Trans-Atlantic Flight, 1927 1931

Bronze and gold leaf, 33.152.8

Created to commemorate the trans-Atlantic flight, this was something that hadn’t been done before, similar to what Clodion was honoring through his sculpture.  MacMonnies piece is representative of a large coin that celebrates the achievement of Lindbergh but also the daring of all pilots that are willing to push boundaries and try to achieve what’s never been done before.

 

Constantin Brancusi, Bird in Space 1923

Marble, 1996.403.7ab

Brancusi’s Bird in Space is a simplistic marble sculpture.  The piece is shaped like a birds body or like a feather.  The way it is rendered makes it appear as if it is designed to fly.  It looks as if it is a spaceship waiting to take off; its upward movement lets your mind believe that.  On top of that its smooth surface gives it that aerodynamic look that gives that feeling of flight.

 

Peter Anton von Verschaffelt??, Model for a Papal Monument 1740-1750

Terracotta Sculpture, 1983.500

            This is a sculpture that portrays putti like those that are depicted on the Sculpture by Clodion. They are positioned as if they are going to ascend into the air with an object both looking up towards the heavens.  This piece like Clodion’s is made of the same material during the same time frame.  Because it is a Papal monument is has this religious sentiment to it as well, the one putti looking maybe as if to get approval from God. Even though it is not specifically about flight this piece has this upward movement that is similar to that of Clodion’s and creates a sense of rising.