Ugolino & His Sons

I have had many encounters with this magnificent piece of art. The most recent was in October 2005 when at 9am on a Wednesday I found myself alone, The Postal Service on my iPod, in the sculpture hall at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I actually went there specifically for this work, to take photos of every detail, but usually we cross paths unexpectedly. Each time I stand in front of this piece my pulse quickens, my knees go weak. I feel my emotions well and I want to cry. It is not a pretty subject matter, not romantic in the traditional sense. I cant describe why this is the one for me.

The piece is Ugolino & His Sons by Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux . If you have seen it in person, then you know how huge and powerful it is. The piece depicts a passage from Dantes Inferno in which a man, Ugolino della Gherardesca is imprisoned in a tower with his sons and grandsons, for having betrayed is city. They are all sentenced to starve to death. In one of my first Art History classes I remember learning that the children had offered themselves to Ugolino. That once they had died, they wanted him to survive on their flesh. However, scientists believe they have found the remains on Ugolino and performed tests that discount this tale. You can read more about Ugolino and forensics here.

You can feel this sculptures life, as if these poor boys are about to breathe. About to shriek and sob. I am always expecting them to get up and run, beg for mercy even. I think that the overwhelming emotions take hold of me when I (after a few seconds of waiting for movement) realize they are frozen in their terror. Then my heart breaks for them.



Do you have a piece of art that makes your knees go weak every time you encounter it? Please comment and share them with us!!

To see more detail shots of this sculpture, click here.