This Labor Day weekend, my husband and I took a trip to Philadelphia. This city was influenced by Classics in a big way. All of the founding fathers brought their Latin ideas and Roman architecture with them--so the whole city is a gem. I've chosen a few things to show pictures of--mostly from the Philadelphia Museum of Art (as usual, everything is owned by them and they get alll the credit; I also apologize for not noting the artist for each piece). This first image is of the East wing from the outside. At the top you can see a relief sculpture of some gods. Apollo is the easiest to pick out--who else do you see?
On the way to the museum from where I parked, I spotted this on a building. Hmmm what do you think they do in there and why do they need a caduceus?
This sculpture stands over a fountain in the museum, which is very appropriate. The water would represent the sea and this is Aphrodite coming out of it in her seashell.
This painting is of an abandoned bathhouse. You can see the structure being used for all sorts of other things other than bathing the ancient way. Roman ruins just wasting away...
A figure of Apollo--a lyre in hand to make him identifiable. I'm not sure what the staff is for...
Same artist--this is Zeus. I find it strange that he seems to be riding an eagle. It's definitely his symbol, but he usually becomes one rather than mounting one.
And finally we have Juno. I thought it was Ledo with the swan when I first saw this, but upon closer examination, you can tell it's a peacock. Juno is caressing it with love, that's for sure.
This one is odd, I think. It's a painting by a Flemish man, Jan Brueghel the Younger, called Allegory of Sight (Venus and Cupid in a Picture Gallery). It makes sense for Venus to be there looking at pretty things, but I'm not sure what her son has to do with it.
Here's The Emblem of Christ Appearing to Constantine by Peter Paul Rubens. This is from a famous event in history called the Battle of the Milvan Bridge and is, supposedly, what led to Constantine's acceptance of Christianity and changed the nature of religion in Rome.
Finally, there is this enormous painting which took up the better part of a wall. It's a gruesome depiction of Prometheus's daily punishment by that eagle. Good note to end on, no?
