Archaic Apollo with a griffin

Apollon archaïque

This sculpture of Apollo accompanied by a griffin was discovered in the house of Menander in Pompeii. This house probably belonged to a certain Quintus Poppeus who was related to Nero’s second wife, Poppea. Despite its archaic type it is dated 1st century and is probably a forgery of this period, the archaic period extending from 800 BC. J. – C. to 480 av. J.-C .. Why a certain Quintus Poppeus would have wanted a sculpture with an outdated look date in his day? Nobody really knows it;) But probably for the same reason that one of our contemporaries wants to have a bust of Napoleon at his house today.

The beautiful young griffin is a very special pet … but good Apollo is a God who can not live with a simple mutt. His pose suggests the desire to play as a small dog who wants to attract the attention of his master. The griffon is a mythological creature with lion’s body and eagle’s head and it has the distinction of having a cockcrest, it is often associated with the God Apollo.

This sculpture is at Mann in Naple and exhibited in Montreal in the beautiful Pompeii exhibition until September 2016 at the MMFA.