Jason with the Golden Fleece, 1803, Bertel Thorvaldsen
In this sculpture, Bertel Thorvaldsen depicts heroic Jason triumphantly holding the golden fleece moments after winning it. Thorvaldsen was a Danish sculptor who spent most of his life in Rome, where he owned a large workshop. He created this piece in 1803, and like in his other works, drew influence from classical art. Classical art was popular from roughly 500 BC to 200 AD, and was influenced largely by Roman and Greek figures. Here, we see Jason idealized according to Greek beauty standards, which makes sense because in his myth he was portrayed as almost godly, even being described as “hērōs” (meaning hero, or demigod) in line 156. One of these Greek ideals was to be young and muscular, which can be seen here, where each of Jason’s muscles are clearly visible, carved painstakingly from the marble. His skin, particularly around his face, is completely smooth and youthful, another Greek ideal. In addition, Thorvaldsen embraces the natural form, emphasizing Jason’s humanness. For example, we can see his stance is slightly angled and he is staring off into the distance, rather than standing completely upright and staring straight forwards. His stance encapsulates the natural symmetry and balance of the human body: his left leg is slightly behind the right one, while his right arm is angled slightly up and his left arm pointed more downwards. He is also completely nude, which contrasts with different cultures’ sculptures during the classical period. For instance, in Egyptian and Assyrian culture, when statues were nude, it was usually to show their figure’s shame; however, in Greek culture, nudity in statues was common, and was associated with heroism (in male figures). Thorvaldsen further emphasizes this strength in other ways too. For example, Jason wears a helmet and wields a spear, showing his admirable militarism and courage in battle. He also proudly holds the golden fleece in one hand, showing his success despite facing multiple difficult trials. Though he never thoroughly describes Jason’s physical appearance, I believe that there are certain ways Ovid would have disagreed with Thorvaldsen portrayal of Jason. For instance, Ovid, as a Roman, may have thought Jason be a little older and slightly scarred, as these characteristics showed complete dedication to the state and also that he was experienced in battle. Lastly, Greek statues were often portrayed as nude to emphasize the ideal human form, but Roman statues were usually clothed. Overall, though this depiction strays slightly from Ovid’s view of Jason, Thorvaldsen chooses to portray Jason as idealized, strong, and almost godly while still managing to emphasize his human side through certain artistic choices.