Power and Pathos: Bronze Sculpture of the Hellenistic World (2015)

Narrated by Liev Schreiber, this film was produced by the National Gallery of Art's Department of Exhibition Programs for the exhibition Power and Pathos: Bronze Sculpture of the Hellenistic World. In the fourth century B.C., a new and very different kind of sculpture emanated from the court of Alexander the Great. Hellenistic artists developed an interest in depicting the personalities and individuality of the peoples of their own world. Their chosen medium was bronze sculpture-- cast from figures modeled in wax or clay. Fine details - hair, wrinkles, scars - could be more easily crafted in pliable materials and also help to capture the individuality of the subject. Bronze's greater tensile strength also permitted more dynamic poses. After Alexander's death in 323 B.C., bronze sculptures dominated the cultural landscape of Alexander's former empire. Thousands of them stood outside stadiums, theatres, market places and homes throughout Greece and the Mediterranean, Egypt, the Middle East and India. This film includes specially shot footage of sites in Greece -- including Corinth, Delphi and Olympia. It was made possible by the HRH Foundation.