Formal Analysis of Ganymede and the Eagle

Ganymede and the Eagle, Bertel Thorsvalden. 1817-1829.

Bertel Thorsvaldsen's marble sculpture, Ganymede and the Eagle, was created 1817-1829 and is 34-3/4” tall, 18-1/2” wide, and 46-3/8” deep (www.artsconnected.org, accessed 4/20/2010). This neoclassical sculpture depicts the Greek myth by the same name. The way in which the artist has chosen to present this myth is initially deceptive to the viewer, who may not be aware of the true nature of the myth. Prior to knowing the myth, the viewer is prone to see a depiction of compassion and innocence. Once the viewer becomes aware of the myth, the notion that this is a depiction of a compassionate young man and an innocent eagle is turned on its side and is revealed as an image of clever deception. This comes from both the artist, who has created this sense of innocence, and also from the eagle, who has intentions that are not what we perceive.
     In this ancient myth Ganymede, who is a handsome prince, is carried away by an eagle. The eagle was not what he initially appeared to be and was actually the Greek god Zeus, who had come disguised as an eagle in order to take the young prince away with him to Mount Olympus. Once on Mount Olympus, Ganymede was forced into being the cupbearer for all of the Greek gods (www.artsconnected.org, accessed 4/20/2010). With this myth in mind, we can look further into the ways Thorsvaldsen has created a seemingly simple sculpture that is at its heart full of deception and vulnerability.
    The first level of deception is created through the way in which Ganymede and the eagle are interacting in space with one another. Instead of seeing an eagle who has captured Ganymede or who is attacking him, we see an eagle who is calmly drinking from a bowl that is cupped in Ganymede's left hand. Ganymede appears to be concerned with the eagle's well-being and is pleased to see him drinking from his bowl. This emotion comes through in Ganymede's facial features. Thorsvaldsen has given him a slight smile that has a soft quality and his eyes appear gentle towards the eagle. If the viewer were to look at the interior of Ganymede's eyes, they would see that the sculptor has chosen not to include the detail of pupils. This left out detail seems to suggest a blind faith or may even refer to his naivety towards the eagle and a lack of knowledge about the true intentions of the eagle. In contrast, the eagle's eyes have been given this detail. His eyes also appear to be staring at Ganymede. Because the eagle is Zeus and he knows what is going to happen he has been given pupils which he can see through; he is not being blindly led through this situation.
    The emotions that are seen through both figure's eyes are also carried on through the whole of their body language and placement. The figures are placed close in relation to one another, thereby creating a sense of intimacy and tenderness. This also helps in building upon the perceived notion that Ganymede is safe with the eagle. If the scene depicted were the moments before Ganymede is plucked from earth and brought to Mount Olympus by Zeus, then the motives of the eagle are not what we thought and are evil; Ganymede has been duped. However, the scene could too be that of Ganymede humbly serving as cup bearer to the gods, with Zeus still in his eagle form. When the viewer sees the sculpture in this way, Ganymede is then seen as a humble servant who has willingly submitted to Zeus and the other Greek gods. The anticipation of the eagle's attack is gone and the viewer is left with a sculpture that depicts servitude.
    While this last interpretation of the sculpture could very well be true, the body language of the eagle seems to indicate that the scene is more than an image of the humble servitude of a young man who was once a prince. As the eagle is leaning forward to take a drink from the bowl, he is also stretching his wings out towards Ganymede. The eagle is not getting ready to take flight and leave Ganymede, but appears to be making a move towards Ganymede who is on his left. He is planning the capture of Ganymede and is signaling his intentions. This can also be seen in the positioning of the eagle's left talon which is almost touching Ganymede. The positioning of the eagle's large talons also suggests that he is preparing to snatch him. When these elements are highlighted an aggressive eagle is seen and any innocence found in the eagle's actions are gone.
    In contrast, we now see Ganymede as a passive and highly vulnerable figure, unknowingly, faces with an aggressive force. When looking at the relaxed body language of Ganymede it appears that he is comfortable with the eagle and intimately leans towards him. In his left hand he holds out a bowl full of liquid, in his right hand he holds a vessel off to his side. These occupied hands show that the young prince is tied down to his actions of goodwill. Thorsvaldsen is using the bowl and vessel that Ganymede is holding, along with his actions towards the eagle, as a way to foreshadow the young prince's eventual fate as cup bearer to the gods. The viewer is able to simultaneously see the present and the future, giving the piece a sense of tension and foreboding.
    By looking at the artist's treatment of the marble's surface, the viewer can gain a deeper sense of Ganymede's vulnerability and susceptibility to the deception. For his body Thorsvaldsen chose to create a “soft” and smooth surface. This is accented further through the delicate features of Ganymede's body. Ganymede's body also not been overly idealized. The idealization of the body is common in pieces of classical antiquity and with pieces such as those in the neoclassical period. The intentional lack of idealization suggests that Ganymede is weak in comparison to the eagle, who on the other hand appears to have been given an idealized eagle body. Each feather is incised with great detail, which gives him an aggressive animal qualities. The eagle's body also appears to have a much stronger structural presence within the entirety of the sculpture and a sense of dominance in comparison to Ganymede's body, which carries with it much less strength and dominance.
    Thorsvalden's choice to depict Ganymede as an unclothed figure explores the idea of the naked versus the nude body. In art, the nude and the naked are two different ways of portraying a figure (Clark, The Painting of Modern Life , p131). A nude figure is one that is purely aesthetic and is objectified (Oxford English Dictionary , s.v. "naked."). When a figure is naked in a piece, their unclothed body becomes a means to display poverty or the to emphasize their vulnerability to attack (Oxford English Dictionary, s.v. "naked.") . It is arguable that Thorsvaldsen is displaying both a nude and a naked Ganymede. Ganymede is nude because of the cloth that is beginning to fall down behind him on his right side. The cloth that is falling off was his royalty, which is about to be stripped from him by the eagle. He is naked because he is vulnerable to the eagle, who is going to attack him. The eagle's want for him is also giving Ganymede an objectified quality. He is described as a handsome prince, through this we can infer that Zeus is wanting a handsome cup bearer. One that all of the gods can aesthetically enjoy.
    The final element of the sculpture that causes a sense of deception is the Phrygian cap on Ganymede's head. This Phrygian cap is made from cloth and bends forward on the head. Originally it was worn by people in ancient times and now is a symbol of freedom and liberty (www.oed.org, accessed 4/27/2010). The use of this cap, is historically accurate, but it also seems to tie into the freedom Ganymede has and also the freedom and liberty he will soon be stripped of by the eagle.