The Severan copy of Athena Parthenos and an early 13th century Virgin child are two pieces at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts that compare and contrast in several ways. Their historical importance as symbols, their sculptural mediums, styles and dimensions, and their functions make them historically relevant.

The Reduced Replica of Athena Parthenos - at the MFA in Boston is a marble statue which depicts a graceful, robed female icon. The statue has lost both arms, and is dressed in a chiton Athena , also referred to as Minerva, the Maiden, or Parthenos was the Favorite daughter of Zeus. Legend states that she was not generated by any woman with Zeus, but instead leapt out of his head fully grown and armored. Athena is known an the goddess of wisdom, the goddess of the city , the protectress of civilized life, artisan activities , and agricultural bounty. All of these characteristics explain her sculptural likenesses in so many ancient cities in need of dietous protection. 1

This particular piece is of Severan creation. The Severans came to power in the late second century. Marcus Aurelius¹ son

Dimensionally, Athena stands at a larger scale than any human- also minding that this is a reduced replica, while the Boston Virgin is sixty one inches from base to crown. The virgins size is roughly the size of a woman, emphasizing that she was indeed a real woman. Like her godlike stature insists, Athena towers over those she protects. The dimensions of these sculptures speak volumes about the subjects personalities and roles.

The faces of these two pieces are very different. Athena Œs face - typically Graeco Roman - is masklike, without pupils or expression. Again the marble lends to this as a cold, hard material that ,when smooth does not posses the warmth of skin. The Virgin and child a naturalism has softened the features of earlier Romanesque influence. These faces, although oddly proportioned by small features and a very oval shape, are -according to Gardner ³ transformed ...into the idealized portraits of perfect Christians, and finally into the portraiture of specific individuals.²11

The Virgin and Child is an oak sculpture of the sacred religious icons enthroned in a frontal pose. She is crowned and robed in lavish garments as the baby Jesus sits stiffly and astutely on her left thigh. A line on the baby¹s head suggests that he once wore a crown as his mother does. Also missing is the virgin¹s right hand. The two are rest on an oval throne that creates a trefoil shaped base beneath her feet. This image of the Virgin and Child upon the trefoil based throne is known a the Throne of Wisdom for the Incarnate World, or Sedes Sapientiae . 4

Commodus succeeded his father in 180, only to inherit an empire that was becoming increasingly harder to uphold , and imperial order was being threatened. Eventually, he was assassinated , and the Roman world was thrown into civil discord. Septimius Severus emerged as the new emperor in 193 after proclaiming himself to be Marcus Aurelius¹ son. 2

Gillerman, Gothic Sculpture in American Collections. University Press, Ny 1978

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Approximate Word count = 1957
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)