The Carroll and Milton Petrie European Sculpture Court (gallery 548)
«As I travel through the galleries of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, one question always lingers in my mind: If these inanimate objects were able to speak, what would they say? I have taken on the task of "interviewing" three sculptures to break their silence and give us more insight into their lives and stories.»
Ugolino and His Sons
Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux (French, 1827–1875). Ugolino and His Sons, 1865–67. Saint-Béat marble. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Purchase, Josephine Bay Paul and C. Michael Paul Foundation Inc. Gift, Charles Ulrick and Josephine Bay Foundation Inc. Gift, and Fletcher Fund, 1967 (67.250)
Me: What is your greatest struggle right now?
Ugolino: My four sons have offered to sacrifice themselves for the sake of my survival. I'm struggling with my role as a parent, a man who wants the best for them, but have ended up dragging them down along with me.
Winter
Jean Antoine Houdon (French, 1741–1828). Winter, 1787. Bronze. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Bequest of Kate Trubee Davison, 1962 (62.55)
Me: If you could give advice to people, what would it be?
Winter: To enjoy all of the seasons. Enjoy the sun's hot summer rays against your skin. Enjoy the sight of spring flowers blooming, brightening up the world. Enjoy fall's earthly colors bringing warmth and comfort to your soul. Enjoy the chilly winter weather because, after all, only the greatest people are named after the coldest season.
Unique Forms of Continuity in Space
Umberto Boccioni (Italian, 1882–1916). Unique Forms of Continuity in Space, 1913. Bronze. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Bequest of Lydia Winston Malbin, 1989 (1990.38.3)
Me: What is the secret to a good life?
Unique: Stop focusing on the negative and look toward the positive. My whole life, I've held myself back from so many things because I thought that without movement everything was meaningless. What I found out is that movement makes people crazy. Still life allows you to focus more on what's near you rather than what requires effort to find. The most important things are right in front of you.