Arion On The Sea Horse

Country: Spain

Manufactory: Lladro

Date of establishment: 2011

Sculptor: Francisco Polope

Size (cm): 62*77

Limited Series

Porcelain Story

Of course, it is always difficult to say it out loud. But you can't hide anything from yourself anyway. So we have to concede the obvious - I only know that I know nothing. The phrase, claimed by Plato, and attributed to the ancient Greek thinker and philosopher Socrates, means only one thing: people usually imagine that they know something, when in fact it turns out that they know nothing. I, Socrates said, knowing my ignorance, am willing to claim to know more than others. Incidentally, the Apostle Paul, in his first letter to the Corinthians, said something similar: ''Whoever thinks he knows something does not yet know anything as he ought to know it.''

'What is my point?", shall you ask. Nothing new. Unfortunately, as I increasingly immerse myself in the depths of knowledge about the genesis of this or that subject immortalized by sculptors in porcelain works which we have collected, I become convinced that I know next to nothing. But it is precisely this awareness of not knowing that encourages me to delve deeper into history, to find artistic parallels, to compare and contrast, to share my small discoveries ...

For example, a few months ago in our column I introduced you to the work of our good friend Francisco Polope "Bacchante on a Panther". Then I showed you another work by the legendary Spanish master on the same subject, only many years ago. And now I would like to present you a work with the same technique, but at the same time a completely unique piece ''Arion on the Sea Horse''. The theme of the rescue of the semi-mythical singer and musician Arion by dolphins has been seen many times in art and literature throughout the world. Paintings with a similar theme were created by such painting geniuses as Rubens, Boucher and Durer. But of the many works by the famous French artist William Adolphe Bouguereau, painted in Paris in 1855, which seems to me the closest in consonance. Yes, you can probably easily see it yourself.

The huge size of the product is unique as well, and the careful detailing of each fragment, and the technique of the author's execution of porcelain plot, which captures the key moment of an ancient legend. Having succeeded in alerting the spiteful shipmasters who had decided to kill him, Arion jumped into the abyss of the sea, where he was immediately caught by the dolphins and sea horses enthusiastic about his performance. And they safely brought him to the shore at Cape Tainar. By the way, the ancient Greeks considered Arion to be the author of the dithyramb, i.e. a cult hymn in honor of the god Dionysus. This is where the genre of Greek tragedy is said to have its origins.

So when you hear about someone singing dithyrambs to someone again, remember that the inventor of the genre was Arion.