Ludovisi Gaul Analysis

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The Ludovisi Gaul was originally a bronze sculpture from 230-220 BC made by the Greek sculptor, Attalus. What is shown today is a marble Roman copy of the early 2nd A.D. of the Hellenistic original. The statue is located in Museo Nazionale Romano in Palazzo Altemps and is situated on the second floor of the museum. It is centrally located in a square, sparsely decorated room with harsh spotlights pounding down on the statue.
The lighting changes in abrupt intervals between warm and cool hues to give a different feeling to the viewer. When under harsh, warm light, the statue is more appealing and confrontational compared to being under lower levels of cool light. The warm lighting also shows more detail in the statue’s characteristics, whereas the cool light depleted+ any muscle definition.
The statue depicts two individuals, a male …show more content…

The act of suicide is very raw in consideration to the public. It can be a form of power. The one who does the killing has all the power, hence the angular form of the sword represents power. The act of killing and the tool the killer uses, in this case it is the sword, are parallel to each other in aspects of form and philosophy. The man may have circular forms on his body, but his arm is angular. His arm is where the power is coming from because it is holding the sword and committing the killing.
The majority of the light is focused on the arm and the sword, which also plays a role in creating the shapes through the sculpture. Depending on where the light hits, the muscles may seem more round or they may seem more sculpted and angular. The lighting also casts circular shapes behind the statue as well as creates angular shapes in the shadows from the block the statue rests on. The curls in the two figure’s hair are circular as well as the ruffles in their