Heaven and Earth + The Dying Gaul Tour w/Eric Denker FREE

Members and their guests only

In the first exhibition devoted to Byzantine art at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, some 170 rare and important works, drawn exclusively from Greek collections, will offer a fascinating glimpse of the soul and splendor of the mysterious Byzantine Empire. On view in the West Building from October 6, 2013, through March 2, 2014, Heaven and Earth: Art of Byzantium from Greek Collections will trace the development of Byzantine visual culture from the fourth to the 15th century, beginning with the ancient pagan world of the late Roman Empire and continuing to the opulent and deeply spiritual world of the new Christian Byzantine Empire.

We will also view the Dying Gaul on our visit.

There are few statues more celebrated than the Dying Gaul, and even fewer that can equal its emotional power. It depicts a young man with thick, matted hair, lying on the ground, supporting his slightly turned torso with a muscular right arm. A small slit in his chest and a few drops of gore tell us he is dying, and many people see on his downturned face a look of stoic pain.

The last time the Dying Gaul left Italy was in 1797, after Napoleon invaded the Papal States and helped himself to the absolute cream of Italy’s artistic treasures. The larger-than-life-size statue, likely a Roman replica of an earlier Greek bronze, was hauled off to Paris and triumphantly paraded on its way to the Louvre, where it remained until its return to Italy in 1816.

About Eric Denker:

Eric Denker is a Senior Lecturer in the Education Department of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. He is also an Adjunct Professor of Art History at Georgetown University. Eric's major area of interest is Italian art, specifically Venetian art. With a Ph.D. in art history from the University of Virginia, Eric also lectures regularly at area museums, including the Smithsonian art museums.


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