A Political Narrative in the Relationship between Artwork and Recipient
A Political Narrative in the Relationship between Artwork and Recipient

Summary/Abstract: Sometimes a single work of art can tell a whole story. The Ludovisi group presented here originally stood on a long sculptural plinth on the terrace of the Athena sanctuary in the ancient metropolis of Pergamon. Viewed from its back, one sees a Gaul with raised sword and his defeated opponent to the left. This impression remains until the moment when the front of the warrior can be seen. There, in fact, the sword is being used to commit suicide in order to escape slavery; the dying woman is apparently his wife. This way art becomes a repository of collective memory.

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