Antiquities Expert Provides Fascinating Insight into Museum Exhibition

Through the generosity of a grant from the Parents Association, the Bullis Foreign Language and Visual Arts Departments welcomed Dr. Jacquelyn Clements to campus for a Scholar-in-Residence week.

Dr. Clements has an extensive background in the fields of classical archaeology and museum studies. She presented lessons to Latin, classical mythology, and visual arts students in preparation for their visit to a special exhibition at the National Gallery of Art entitled, "Power and Pathos: Bronze Sculptures in the Hellenistic World." This special exhibit has collected Greek bronzes from museums across the world and includes about a quarter of the world's surviving bronzes.

Dr. Clements received rare hands-on experience with these bronzes while she worked at the Getty Museum in Los Angeles. She shared her knowledge of these rare works of art with all Latin classes, the Upper School Classical Mythology class, and AP Studio Art, Advanced Studio Art and Art History classes. She talked with the students about the history of the Hellenistic world that informed the artistry and design of the art pieces, explained how bronze provides both strength and flexibility, and showed the students how many of the pieces were preserved for centuries and restored improbably to their current condition.

At the Gallery exhibition, she provided more background and information to give the students a unique insight into what they were viewing:

"The exhibit was amazing," said 9th grader Charlotte Clement. "Knowing the story behind the sculptures helped me understand them more, which would not have been possible without the introduction by Dr. Clements. We learned about the people behind the culture and about how the sculptures survived, which made them even more amazing than they already were."

Sammy Senders, 10th grade, agreed and "was also amazed that all these statues were in one place at the same time, which made it a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

The exhibition was an astonishing revelation, raved 11th grader Thomas Wang. "It introduced to us the beauty of Greek bronzes, a form of art rarer yet no less exquisite than the wider-known marbles. Dr. Clements offered great help to me and helped me understand the aesthetics and connotations of the bronzes better."