The Mattei Athena, also known as the Louvre Athena or Minerva Mattei, is a celebrated ancient Roman marble statue of the goddess Athena (Minerva). It is a Roman copy of a lost Greek bronze original from the 5th century BCE, attributed by some scholars to Phidias or his school, reflecting the High Classical style. It is currently housed in the Louvre Museum in Paris.
Description
The Mattei Athena depicts the goddess standing in a dignified and monumental pose, embodying classical Greek ideals of strength and wisdom. She is shown wearing a peplos, a heavy woolen garment, with a himation draped over it. Over her chest, she wears the aegis, a goat-skin breastplate often fringed with snakes, which in this depiction features the Gorgoneion (head of Medusa) at its center. Her helmet, likely a Corinthian type, would have originally been adorned with a crest, though this is now lost. Her left hand would have held a shield, and her right hand a spear, both of which are missing from the surviving marble statue. The drapery of her garments is rendered with characteristic classical fluidity, emphasizing the form of the body beneath while maintaining a sense of idealization and grace. The statue's expression is serene and contemplative, typical of the Phidian style.
History and Provenance
The statue was discovered in Rome on the Caelian Hill around 1597, during excavations on the property of the Mattei family. It subsequently became a prominent piece within the renowned Mattei collection, from which it derives its name. For centuries, it was admired and studied by artists and scholars in Rome.
In 1798, during the Napoleonic Wars, the statue was acquired by Napoleon Bonaparte from the Mattei family under the Treaty of Tolentino. It was then transported to France and became part of the imperial collection, eventually being displayed in the newly formed Louvre Museum, where it has remained ever since.
Artistic Context and Significance
The Mattei Athena is considered one of the most important surviving Roman copies of a major Greek sculptural work. While the original Greek bronze statue is lost, copies like the Mattei Athena provide invaluable insight into the appearance and artistic innovations of the High Classical period, particularly the style associated with Phidias, the master sculptor responsible for the chryselephantine statue of Athena Parthenos and the sculptural decoration of the Parthenon.
The statue exemplifies the Roman fascination with Greek art and their systematic practice of copying famous Greek originals, often in marble, for private collections, public spaces, and as cult statues. These copies served not only as decorative pieces but also as a means of preserving and disseminating the aesthetic and philosophical ideals of Greek art throughout the Roman Empire. Its enduring presence in the Louvre testifies to its historical and artistic significance.
Location
- Louvre Museum, Paris, France. (Inventory number: Ma 527)
References:
- Louvre Museum Official Website. Mattei Athena.
- Boardman, John. Greek Art. Thames & Hudson, 5th ed., 2016.
- Ridgway, Brunilde Sismondo. Roman Copies of Greek Sculpture: The Problem of the Originals. University of Michigan Press, 1984.