I am interested in objects that tell a story, that evoke a specific moment in time and that bear considerable meaning in the history of art. Böcklin’s Shield with the Head of Medusa does all these things.
The Shield is an icon of Symbolism. It is the most accomplished sculpture ever created by the artist and stands together with the painting of the Isle of the Dead among the foundational works of the movement. It is also a technically complex piece, made from plaster and papier-mâché that were then polychromed.
The Shield crosses the boundaries between the worlds of sculpture and painting, and by doing so it represents a unique moment in art history and historiography, when the debate on the original colour of ancient marbles was raging in European universities.
I am delighted that Böcklin’s work will continue to inspire conversations as part of the collection of the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art in Connecticut.
